


I'll Do It All For You In Time

by zankiefanatic



Series: Photograph [2]
Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Big Bang Challenge, Bipolar Disorder, Bipolar Ian, Domestic Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich, Established Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Gallavich AU, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Minor Original Character(s), Shameless Big Bang, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-15
Updated: 2016-06-15
Packaged: 2018-07-15 07:50:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 49,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7213948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zankiefanatic/pseuds/zankiefanatic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mickey has defeated all odds and has found himself in a stable, happy, and surprisingly domestic relationship. His son loves the guy, he loves the guy, and the guy loves the both of them. But not all problems can be fixed over night and old habits die hard. What's important is that Ian and Mickey have each other. And nothing is going to come between them. As long as Mickey can refrain from self-sabotage the sanest love he's ever known, allow himself to be happy, and maybe even let his boyfriend make his family a little bigger. <br/>AKA The sequel to Lego House (the fic I wrote for the last big bang)</p>
            </blockquote>





	I'll Do It All For You In Time

It was the last day of school. All Yev had to do was make it through his last day of third grade. They’d thrown all the kids an ice-cream part and Eaty-Mc-Fuckin-Eatems decided he would eat until he vomited. Then they had the audacity to let Yevgeny, the most over dramatic child Mickey had ever met, talk on the phone to deliver the news. He’d been at his desk on his way to a meeting when he got the call, and boy did that go well. 

“Hello?” 

“Hi this is Yevgeny Milkovich, Yev for short, and I need to speak to my dad right this very instant cause I’m dying.” 

Mickey snorted eyes rolling heavenward.  

“Yev it’s dad, you at the nurse’s office?” 

“Yes. I ate five bowls of ice-cream and then my tummy felt all weird and rumbly and then I threw up all over the sidewalk, then again in a trash basket so you got to come get me like this second.”  

“Shit.” He mumbled glancing at his watch.  

The meeting started in about ten minutes and he was still considered the new guy at the firm. Lip, of all people got him a job at some accounting firm where the pay was two times what he was making at his old job. He knew he didn’t have the credit to leave yet. He also knew that two years ago he would’ve been screwed, but that wasn’t exactly the case anymore.  

“Alright, can you just sit tight for me? I’m gonna see if Ian can come get you cause I really can’t leave work right now.” 

“Okay. Love you dad.” The young boy sniffed. 

“Love you too kiddo.” 

He hung up the phone immediately dialing the all too familiar numbers.  

“You just got me out of the most boring meet of my entire life. A fucking meeting on the logistics of free wifi in the building, Mick. Who the fuck has a meeting about that? I am going to blow you so hard for that tonight.” Ian ranted.  

“Down boy. I need you to do me a favor. You think you can leave work?”  

“I own the company Mickey. What’s up?”  

“Yev ate five bowls of goddamn ice-cream and is vomiting all over the school. I’ve got a meeting in like five minutes. Can you pick him up for me?”  

On the other end of the line Ian was beaming his ass off. He was all about the sentimental moments.  

“Why of course I can dear. Shall I cook dinner tonight too? Perhaps a quiche?” 

Mickey rolled his eyes. “Just go get my kid shithead.” 

“Yea, yea I’m going. I’ll keep you posted. Love you.” 

“Love you too.” 

Damn had things changed. The past two years had been the best of Mickey’s life. Yev was growing up and in the midst of that was changing every day it seemed. Mickey sometimes wondered just where his gapped tooth mini-me had gone. He was a whiz in school, three grades above the other kids in his reading level, through no help of Mickey’s of course. All he did was get the books. He had inherited Mickey’s mathematic abilities though and was doing long division and had memorized his multiplication tables by the first grade. His kid was happy, and on top of all that so was he. ‘Cause he had Ian.  

After they got through the bipolar disorder there was some work of gaining trust again and of understanding. He showed Mickey all of his meds, what they did, and what could happen if he didn’t take them. He even sat Yev down and explained it in much simpler terms. There was always a bit of hesitance, like Ian wanted to provide Mickey with an out whenever he wanted, but it was pointless. Ian was the only thing he wanted.  

And so they stuck together, Ian becoming an almost permanent fixture in both Mickey and Yevgeny’s lives. He didn’t mind it either, a fact not more surprising to anyone than him. Having Ian around felt like being home. He never wanted to lose that. They had dinner together. They did grocery shopping together. They cuddled in bed and took Yev to the pool only for Mickey to refuse to enter the water and stare on as Ian dunked his kid in the water. They did back to school nights and went on an actual vacation despite Mickey’s reluctance. It was a relationship, a real, concrete relationship. And Mickey loved every second of it.  

So there shouldn’t have been a better person to pick up his child than the one of three other adults in the world he actually trusted him with. Ian headed to Yev’s school in his tailored dress pants and button up that just screamed, “there’s something nice to look at under here”, with a Rolex more expensive than three months of his boyfriend’s rent. He had a smile so genuine and true it was sickening, a bit of anxious excitement to pick up Yevgeny, who had become as close to a son to him as physically possible, rocking his core. The school had some other things in mind.  

“Hi I’m here to pick up Yevgeny Milkovich? He’s sick.” 

“Name and relationship to the child?” The secretary replied, voice monotone. 

“I’m Ian Gallagher. He’s my boyfriend’s son.”  

She seemed to perk up at that looking up from her computer screen to stare curiously at him.  

“Yevgeny’s father has never had anyone else pick him up before.” 

He nodded calmly. “I understand, but he couldn’t get out of work, so he asked me to come get him.”  

“Uh huh…. Excuse me for a second.” 

He watched as she disappeared for a minute before returning with another woman in a pant suit. Ian hadn’t had much experience with schools since the Southside, and they barely cared if you showed up let alone who came to pick you up. The stifling feeling of being stopped and examined was making him a little uncomfortable.  

“Hello sir how can I help you today?” She asked, smile tight and fake.  

“I’m here to pick up my boyfriend’s son. Is there a problem here that I’m not aware of?” 

“Well sir the thing is we can’t allow just anyone to enter our school. Without any record of who you are and without a relation to the child we cannot release him to you.”  

His patience was wearing thin as they basically told him he had no “relation” to a child he’d been putting to sleep for the past six months, for the child that he loved the absolute fuck out of. They didn’t know the barriers he’d broken down to get to where he was with Yevgeny. He didn’t understand them at all.  

“Okay well then call Mickey and he’ll tell you who I am. Or ask Yev yourself. I’m not a fucking pedophile I just wanna take my kid home and get him to bed.”  

“Sir please calm down.”  

It took three more women in various states of disapproval before Ian said to hell with them and called Mickey.  

“Gallagher what part of a meeting don’t you understand?!”Mickey hissed.  

“I know, I know I’m sorry but the fucking school Nazis won’t let me take Yev home because I have no ‘relation’ to the child as they’ve so clearly stated.”  

He stood directly in front of them as he had the conversation. Ian may have smothered his Southside persona with the clothes and the smile, but it didn’t much to show people where he came from.  

“The fuck are you talking about? Put me on the phone.”  

Ian watched on with a great satisfaction as Mickey ripped the lady a new one. His voice was loud enough that everyone at the desk could hear it. Mickey must’ve said something because the woman went over to the computer and typed something in only to grow so embarrassed her face was redder than Ian’s hair.  

“I—I see that Mr. Gallagher is indeed listed as an emergency contact. I apologize for the confusion and we will release Yevgeny immediately.” She mumbled handing the phone back to Ian and stomping off to go receive Yev.  

“Emergency contact huh?” Ian smirked. “Be careful Mick your commitment is showing.” 

“Fuck off, I needed an extra person and you never go home. Now get off my phone before I get fired.”  

“Mkay. Love you baby.” He added for nothing more than the benefit of having those bitches know that Mickey was his.  

“You’re an asshole.” Mickey muttered before the line went dead.  

Yevgeny came walking out slow and sluggish the imprint of a nurse’s cot deep on his cheek. He climbed into Ian’s arms without question and simply whimpered into his neck.  

“Aww buddy you don’t look so good.” He sighed, heart breaking.  

“My belly hurts Ian.” He whined. 

“Alright, okay let’s get you out of here.”  

He took Yev’s batman backpack from whatever that woman’s name was ignoring their pleas and opting to get out of there instead.  

Because he was smart he brought Yev a bucket to ensure that his beautiful Delilah did not meet the same fate as the sidewalk of his school. He knew that little acts like Mickey trusting him with Yev were far from little. He knew that the whole stratosphere of commitment was hard for him, and every chance he got he yearned to show Mickey that he could be trusted. He never wanted to let him or Yev down again. So he spent the day making sure that he didn’t.  

*** 

Work was a bitch and a half, long and grueling, a piece of him yearning for the quiet work at his desk next to Sara who had moved on herself. But the picture at his desk of a chocolate ice-cream covered Yev on his shoulders always did the trick of getting him back on track. Plus he knew Ian would take any sign of weakness as an excuse to hire Mickey as his own personal assistant where the job almost certainly entailed getting dicked down. That was not the kind of work he needed in his life, he much preferred getting dick down after hours. Not to mention Lip worked there and they had a special hatred for each other, so Mickey would have to pass.  

He made it to Ian’s apartment in record time, sure that his son was probably forcing Ian to import French ginger ale or some shit. They still lived in separate apartments, much to Ian’s dismay, but he’d convinced Mickey to move in for the summer when he couldn’t freak about Yev going back and forth for school. In fact he’d spent most of his days the summer before at Fiona’s playing with the other kids at Gallagher daycare instead of with the stapler at Mickey’s desk. Turned out there were more perks to Gallagher than a cute face, big dick, and even bigger heart. 

“Evening Mr. Milkovich.” Sully the doorman smiled as Mickey walked past.  

Mickey waved. “Hey Sully.” 

He’d tried relentlessly to get him to call him Mickey before ultimately giving up.  

He made his way upstairs expecting to find a tired Ian and hopefully a tired Yevgeny only to be met with the sight of two horribly dancing jackasses in the living room. Mickey sworn that Yev’s top 40 obsession would be the death of him, Ian’s joining in on the fun had only pushed him toward an early grave. 

“Dad!” Yev squeaked launching himself at Mickey.  

Daddy had gone to Dad a few weeks into the third grade. It only smashed his heart a little bit.  

“Hey bud. Thought you were dying?”  

“Oh I was! But then I threw up in Ian’s office and he gave me this special water with bubbles and I felt all better. Now we can go to the barbecue.” 

“Barbecue huh? You sure you’re feeling up to it?”  

Yev nodded way too fast to be healthy for his cranium. “I got to go Dad! Liam and Ethan need to know about my epic puking adventure.” 

Mickey chuckled. “Guess you better go get ready then.”  

Yev dropped down from his father’s arms dashing up the stairs like Quicksilver leaving the two adults alone.  

“Hey.” Ian smiled softly fingers playing with the edge of his tie.  

Mickey returned it shyly. “Hi. He wasn’t too much trouble was he?”  

“Nope. We had a lot of fun. Missed you though.”  

“Well here I am.”  

“Mhm.” 

His arms snaked around Mickey’s waist as they kissed, the touch enough to warm Mickey’s face and neck. It was one of the best feelings in the world and he had a feeling it was mostly because Ian was so good at it. His toes curled slightly, body light and free when all he had to focus on was Ian’s lips. Ian reached his big hand to cradle his boyfriend’s head. Tongue and teeth and hands wandering everywhere. It never got old. Just having someone want to hold you and make your body thrum is amazing. It was the best welcome home in the world.  

“Ungh come on you two we’re gonna miss the barbeque! Fiona said I could help frost the cake.” 

They each peered down at the tiny man trying to shove his way between their legs, where their bodies were pressed together, with his face. Ian chuckled switching his hold on one Milkovich for his hold on the other.  

“Alright we’ll go just let your dad get changed first.” 

Yev peered suspiciously between the two before huffing his breath like the adorable creature he was.  

“Fine but you stay down here. I know what you two get up to upstairs. It’s disgusting.” 

“Oh do you now?” Mickey smirked. “And just was it that?”  

“You slobber all over each other’s faces obviously Daaaaaaad. Now go we’re gonna be late!”  

Mickey laughed leaning into lay the sloppiest kiss in human history on his son’s cheek. The delightful sounds of gagging made his day. And the fact that Yev thought them kissing was no grosser than a man and women kissing didn’t hurt either (He thought it was disgusting all the same). He traded the suit and tie for his favorite jeans and a t-shirt with the sleeves missing. Apparently Gallagher tradition had always been to have a massive cook out on the last day of school to welcome summer. Yev adored it; Mickey tolerated it. 

They headed towards Fiona’s with Yev resting happily in the backseat. Mickey couldn’t believe he was now the guy who went with his boyfriend to visit the family for barbeques.  In fact most of the time he couldn’t believe half the things he’d done in the past couple of years. Opening himself up, trusting that he was worthy of the love and affection Ian showed him. These weren’t easy things to accomplish, and in most instances they were things that required going against the very things he’d been taught as a child. The most amazing thing was Ian’s patience with him, his willingness to just wait until Mickey felt comfortable. It was hard work, but he always got there eventually. 

“Yevgeny!”  

Ian and Mickey watched as Yev shoved through them to get to his friends.  

Mickey grinned happily as he watched his kid be embraced so warmly. Yev had never had a whole bunch of friends, but the Gallaghers had provided him with a sense of stability and safety. He felt safe with them, and when Yev felt safe he was the most amazing kid Mickey’d ever met. And there was no limit to the kindness he showed others. 

“Ian, Mickey, beers are in here now come give me hugs dammit!” Fiona called.  

Ian grinned hands on Mickey’s hips from behind, which was something they did now apparently. There’s something about being so deep with someone that the need to touch them is constant. And for Mickey there was something about loving someone enough that you didn’t mind letting them touch you, didn’t mind the possessiveness. Fiona Gallagher was another story entirely. 

“Mickey!” She gleamed arms wrapping tightly around him.  

He’d learned eventually that there was no getting around it. Gallaghers were huggers.  

She had on cut off shorts and a t-shirt that didn’t scream soccer mom once so ever. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she had a smile that belonged in a Disney movie along with her eyes. She reminded him of Ian with her smile, and he could never forget where he got it from. 

“How’s the new job?” She asked handing out beers.  

The adults were all at and around the grill while the kids tumbled enthusiastically into the pool.  

He shrugged. “Boring as all fuck. I like money though.”  

“And why won’t you come work for me again?” 

Mickey cut him a look that was seventy percent eyebrows and thirty percent mouth. His facial expressions always had some variance of fuck in them though.  

“You know why.” 

Ian snorted. “I do have self-control Mick. I’m a professional.” 

Mickey, Fiona, and Lip shared a look before they all burst out laughing.  

“Hey you assholes, I do!” 

“Need I remind you of the incident with Ashley?”  

“I wish you wouldn’t.” Mickey winced.  

Ashley had been one of the new assistants at the time. It wasn’t Ian’s fault really . . . 

“You ready for lunch?” Mickey’d smirked walking into the office.  

He was wearing dress pants and a button up with a tie that matched his eyes that day. What was Ian supposed to do, not suck his dick? 

“Do you see what happens when we go shopping together? Pure fucking magic I tell you.” 

“I know how to dress handsy,” He muttered eyes taking in Ian’s grip on his backside. “I just don’t like paying for shit.” 

Ian; however, was a little preoccupied with grabbing his boyfriend’s very delightful ass through his pants.  

“Can we go now?” 

“In a minute. Got some stuff I gotta finish up.” 

Apparently “stuff” meant the world record for getting into someone’s pants. 

“Are you trying to get caught?” Mickey hissed.  

Ian’s voice took an almost whiny twang. “No one comes and bothers me unless something’s broken or there’s a meeting. No meetings today grumpy. Now do you wanna continue to discuss my work habits or get your dick sucked?” 

As if to make his point he palmed Mickey through the new dress pants effectively shutting him up.  

Looking back on it shit did always tend to hit the fan around lunch time and Ashley was on her first day. Poor girl probably just wanted to make a good impression.  

Mickey was leaning against his desk fingers fisting in his hair the way he liked it. All the tension of work ran out his shoulders and he released a deep, hearty moan that cut through Ian like glass. He loved the sounds he made, deep and husky, and worked to get him to make more. It was in the midst of a very good blow job that the door burst open and a skinny chick with brown hair and overly white teeth walked in. Mickey turned, which kind of perfectly showed the fact that Ian was on his knees with a dick in his mouth. It quickly became the office scandal, all because Mickey’s boyfriend was a horny jackass.  

“In my defense, she could’ve knocked.” Ian shrugged.  

Mickey rolled his eyes. “You could’ve waited until we got in the car.”  

“Couldn’t. Like you too much.”  

The smile on Ian’s face was annoying and cute and Mickey wanted to kiss him. And so he did because the Gallaghers had let him and he finally felt comfortable so they could all fuck off while he made out with their brother. 

To be honest Mickey liked to spend most Gallagher get together's wrapped up in Ian. Yev was having fun with his friends, and although Mickey had gotten over the bitter feelings of them not finding him good enough for their brother he still wasn’t completely comfortable. Ian made him feel content and happy. If he ever had anxiety or just felt awkward in the sea of his family Ian always seemed to know, and he always worked to make him feel better.  

“I want you to come in the pool.” Ian murmured, their foreheads resting against one another.  

“I just wanna see you shirtless. I’m good.”  

“Please? It’s not like we’re in public, it’s just family.”  

“Your family.”  He pointed out.  

“My family is your family.”  

“You and Yev are the only family I need.”  

Ian grinned pressing his lips softly to Mickey’s. Asshole had only had one beer and was already on the cusp of being tipsy.  

“I think Yev and I would love if you came in the pool. It’s Gallagher tradition and you are practically a Gallagher.” 

Mickey snorted at that because he still very much felt like a Milkovich. His heart was too shriveled up to be a Gallagher.  

“I think Yev doesn’t want to see his pasty ass dad in the water at all.”   

“We’re both pasty. Let’s be pasty together. Come on Mick please?” He whined arms around Mickey and dragging his little body.  

“Fuck off Gallagher I ain’t even got a bathing suit.” He muttered.  

Ian smirked. “Perfect.”  

*Five minutes later* 

“Get in the damn pool Mickey!”  

“Yea dad get in the damn pool!” Yev squealed in delight.  

Mickey threw his hands up. “You see Gallagher! Got my kid cussing and shit already.”  

Ian rolled his eyes. “You use cuss words more than nouns. And Yevgeny just did it cause he knew he’d get away with it. You’re trying to distract me, get that ass in the pool.” 

The other adults watched from the porch as Mickey grumbled his way into the water in a pair of Ian’s old swim trunks.  

“I don’t like to be wet unless I’m in the shower. I’m not a fish. This is stupid, Ian. You’re stupid.”  

Yevgeny thought it was funny. Ian kinda did too. But Yevgeny was shorter so Mickey dunked him under the water and had a hell of a fun time doing it. But then Ian decided that Mickey was shorter than him so he dunked him, and then Yev joined in and the two little bastards nearly drowned him. It left Mickey choking on the side of the pool like a wet cat. 

“Assholes! Assholes all of you. I’m disowning both of you.” He sputtered.  

Yev and Ian clapped their hands together in victory before he helped lift Yev out of the pool to go eat with the rest of his kids. Mickey was still trying to get his breath back when Ian swam over to his spastic boyfriend acting like they’d water boarded him instead of dunking his head in the water.  

“Babe it’s water not arsenic.” He chuckled arms coming to wrap around his boyfriend.  

Mickey hit as his chest. “You’re an ass.” 

“Yea but I love you. And I think you look extremely sexy in my swim trunks.”  

He raised an eyebrow. “That so?”  

Ian moved slowly backing Mickey up to the edge of the pool. His hands found his hips and it was amazing how quickly they could flip the switch of sexual tension.  

Ian had grown up in that pool, had helped teach three other kids to swim in that pool. And as much as it was a part of his childhood there were a lot of things he never got to experience. He didn’t get to have the boy he liked on his shoulders playing chicken like Lip used to. He didn’t get to get handsy and grope someone he liked and be groped back. He didn’t get kisses and hands in his hair, on his back, touching him. Bringing Mickey into the pool was like a childhood wish come true, and his body was immensely ready for it. A little too ready even.  

“Jesus Ian, you hard right now?”  Mickey smirked peering down at where he’d been poked by Ian’s hard on. 

Ian smiled sheepishly. “What can I say you get me going?”  

“Ugh that might be the sweetest thing you’ve ever said to me.” He muttered pushing Ian away playfully.  

They spent a few minutes just moving around and kissing and touching. It was dark out, quiet except for the rowdiness taking place inside. They didn’t get too many moments like that one. Usually they much preferred their time with Yev, but this was special too. Just them was important too.  

Everyone ate burgers, hot dogs, and chips in a cluster around the living room. Kids start quieting down and drooping into massive heaps on the floor with a movie. The adults were having quiet conversation, which was nice and all but Mickey kind of wanted to go home and have lazy sex with his boyfriend. The amazing part was he didn’t have to say anything, Ian would just look at him and run his hands over his arms and shoulders with a reassuring smile like he could read Mickey’s soul.  

“You ready to go?”  

Mickey nodded. “Uh huh. Carry Yevy for me? Fucker’s getting heavy.” 

Ian laughed. “What kind of a big, strong man would I be if I didn’t carry my boyfriend’s son?”  

“A terrible one.”  

They kissed quickly Mickey going off to find the shoes and Ian to find the boy that went in the shoes.  

“Aw don’t tell me you’re leaving already?” Fiona smiled sadly.  

Ian hitched Yevgeny up on his hip the boy already dead to the world as Mickey tried to stuff his feet into the shoes.  

“Yea we’re gonna head out. We’re all pretty beat. It was a crazy party though thanks Fi.”  

She wrapped her arms around all three of them hugging warmly and motherly with a slight roughness that said, “you better bring your ass back here”. Mickey didn’t even grunt at it.  

“Don’t be strangers alright? And bring Yevgeny over all the time. I miss that face.” She insisted.  

“We’ll bring him by next week promise.” They assured her.  

They went around saying goodbye to everyone before escaping the Gallagher house hand in hand. It’d been a long day and they both yearned for home, both yearned for the quiet bubble where it seemed to be just the two of them. Ian buckled Yev into the back seat before Mickey stopped him snatching the keys from his overly long fingers.  

“We should go visit your family some time.”  

“Oh yea, we’ll meet up at my dad’s and shoot the shit for a little while, that’s assuming he doesn’t shoot us first.”  

Ian giggled drunkenly. “Oops forgot. We’ll figure something out though.” 

“I’ll drive. You’re too close to drunk for comfort.” Mickey grinned.  

Ian rolled his eyes. “You had four more beers than me.”  

“I ain’t on medication that makes me act like a teenage girl drinking her mother’s sangria for the first time when I have one beer though, now am I? Don’t worry I’ll take care of your baby.”  

“Fine. Hurry up so when we get home I can take care of you, baby.”  

Mickey paused staring at what presumably could be the love of his life that also happened to be a complete and total dumbass.  

“You’ll be lucky if I ever let you near my ass again after that terrible fucking joke.” He snorted climbing into the driver’s seat.  

Ian shrugged.  

He thought it was funny. 

*** 

 

“Do you have to go to work tomorrow?” Yev asked tiredly.  

Mickey shook his head. “I took tomorrow and the rest of the week off so we can hang out okay? We’ll have fun.”  

“You too Ian?”  

Ian smiled like he did every time he was included in the before bed talks. It consumed his entire face beyond anything else he’d ever experienced. Being a part of Yevgeny just made him so happy. 

“Of course. I’ll make breakfast tomorrow and we can plan out the whole day. Whatever you want.”  

“Good.” He grinned.  

Mickey leaned over to kiss his forehead and Ian gave him a firm squeeze on his hand before they left the room. He remembered the first night Yevgeny had asked that he help tuck him into bed. He had been on his way to Mickey’s room in their apartment when Yev had stopped and whispered something in Mickey’s ear. Mickey smiled and nodded letting the boy get to the floor before he ran over and gave Ian’s hand a gentle tug. 

“Will you tuck me in too?” He’d asked.  

Ian’s heart soared in his chest threatening to break through at any moment. He’d barely been able to contain his excitement. And he’d had the extreme pleasure of doing the same thing every night since. He loved every single second of it.  

They made their way back to their room in Ian’s apartment, Ian sticking close to Mickey’s backside as they walked. The warmth was already there, affection filling them both and they moved towards the bed. Mickey turned into his arms lips chasing lips and fingers clenching in satisfaction. Oh how he loved to be touched by Ian Gallagher. A man that knew how to make his body feel light and heavy all at the same time, a man who could turn him inside out and make him wither in absolute ecstasy. They’d learned each other’s bodies over time and it just continued to get better and better. The sex was good. The sex was really fucking good.  

Ian buried his face into Mickey’s neck, teeth scraping roughly against the skin as they rutted against one another. They took their time hands getting more action than usual. Mickey liked to trace every muscle in Ian’s back, liked to grip him and moan and force him to give it to him harder. He liked the sweat that pooled at the small of his back. He liked to kiss him and taste his noises, taste that heat that told him he was wanted. He liked to yank at his hair and wrap his legs so tight around his back that there were marks there when they collapsed. He liked to feel him, like to surround himself in Ian’s stewing heat.  

“Love you so fuckin’ much.” Ian groaned into Mickey’s chest, lips and teeth finding his nipples which had to be the most sensitive part of his body.  

Mickey arched his back crying out at the sharp pleasure that coursed through his veins.  

“Oh god Ian.”  

He reached down to cup Ian’s ass at the same time Ian reached for his cock. The results were wonderfully catastrophic.  

The thump of the headboard against the wall settled into a quick staccato gaining speed and rhythm with every pant they shed against each other’s skin. Fingers dug into flesh as they just kept going. Faster and faster and faster still. They’re chasing that high, chasing that release that runs all over their bodies in quaking shivers and dragging spasms. That beautiful euphoria that only they can give each other. Only they can ruin each other so good like that.  

And there it is. Ian slammed in connecting them into one as they locked onto one another. Moans eating moans. Nails filling with skin. Oh god was it good. It just felt so fucking good.  

They eased off of the high slowly, kissing each other deep and sweet. Ian loved that come down romantic shit. Mickey loved it too, but loved to pretend that he only did it for Ian’s benefit. They were both okay with pretending that that was true.  

“Love you too.” Mickey whined sucking at Ian’s bottom lip. “If Yev finds one more hickey on me though and I have to explain Elves that come and bite smokers in their sleep I’m gonna kick your ass.”  

They collapsed them laughing into each other’s chest as simple as that. They were home and they were together and life just felt good. They were good.  

 *** 

 

Mickey woke up to an empty bed, a fact very annoying to him when his fingers went searching for his ginger giant. Ian rarely slept past eight, it kept his meds steady when he had a routine. Yevgeny seemed to live by the idea that the more he slept, the more he missed out on. Needless to say Mickey was usually the last one out of bed. He reached blindly for his boxers, which had somehow found themselves on the edge of the bedside table before heading slowly for the stairs to find his two people. 

The apartment wasn’t nearly as intimidating as it had once been for him. Still Mickey could never forget that he was running his fingers over a golden hand rail or walking on marble steps. It was part of what had him refusing to move in with Ian, besides all his Yevgeny related reasons; it was all just a bit much for him. He yearned for something a little less complex. After all he was a simple man with simple needs, and a Jacuzzi tub or bowling alley didn’t really meet those needs. It was nice of course, but he pictured them somewhere else. Together. Not that he was gonna tell Ian that . . . like ever.  

Ian and Yev were standing at the island together flipping pancakes when Mickey made it downstairs. Yev had a huge smile plastered on his face alongside flour and batter.  

“Dad look I get to help make breakfast!” He beamed from the chair he was using as a stepping stool. 

“That’s great buddy. I’m sure they’ll taste awesome too.” 

He leaned in to kiss him ruffling his hair playfully before moving onto Ian who was way more beautiful than any person had the right to be in the morning. He was shirtless except for his sweatpants that hung low on his hips, chest pale and chiseled and delicious. His hair had begun to curl after lying matted on a pillow all night. Sometimes Mickey would stare at him and get that feeling in his gut from the first time they met, that feeling where your belly just kind of floods with some weird, warm substance and you feel nervous and content all at the same time. Looking at him made his world feel complete.  

“Would it kill you stay and cuddle just once?” He mumbled into his bare shoulder.  

Ian grinned pressing a kiss to his temple. “Sorry. Yevgeny was already up so I figured we’d get a head start on breakfast.” 

“Yea, yea, yea I don’t wanna hear your excuses. Knew you only wanted me for a friendship with my kid.”  

He headed for the coffee machine slotting one of the little pods into the hole and pressing the lid down before pressing the button that would fill the canister. Because of course Ian didn’t have a normal coffee machine, forcing Mickey to sell out even further and learn how to use a Kurrig. Like it wasn’t bad enough he’d grown attached to cuddling. It made amazing fucking coffee though so he only grumbled slightly when he made it. 

He left the boys to finish breakfast since it had been determined he had robbed his child of decent food his entire life before Bobby Flay came around. They did trust him to poor milk; however, and every now again orange juice. Yea, special shit right there. 

They sat down together to eat Mickey and Yev smothering their pancakes in syrup; like father like son. Ian just smiled at them in adoration. They were unbelievably cute and he kind of wanted to smother them both with love.  

“Can we go to Disneyland?” 

“No.” Mickey said casually spearing another piece of pancake with his fork.  

“What your father means,” Ian cut in sending daggers towards Mickey. “is that Disneyland takes a lot of planning. That’s more of a vacation type thing you know? Isn’t there anything else you wanna do today?” 

He thought about it for a minute, tiny face scrunching up as he chewed.  

“Fine what about Navy Pier?”  

Ian’s face lit up. “Navy Pier sounds great! Doesn’t it Mick?”  

“Sure.” He shrugged.  

“Could you try to be a little more excited?”  

“What for, what’s so great about Navy Pier?”  

“Well haven’t you guys ever been?”  

They each shook their heads causing Ian’s mind to temporarily explode.  

“WHAT? You’ve never been to Navy Pier? H—How is that even possible? It’s like a rite of passage here.”  

Mickey snorted at his doofus of a boyfriend. “Single father’s salary means that rent trumps right of passages. Besides, it's more of a tourist attraction than anything.”  

“I mean but we went when we were kids. Granted it was only when Lip was taking the SATs or Fiona scored a good gig and we had extra cash, but we went. Even just to look around. There’s so much to do now.”  

Ian stood up grabbing his and Yevgeny’s plate and heading straight for the kitchen before turning back and grabbing Mickey’s.  

“Hey asshole I was eating that!”  

“No time Mick. Yev you can use the shower in your bathroom okay? I already got your soap and robe in there. Let’s get a move on boys there’s a whole world waiting for us to explore.”  

Mickey didn’t see what the big whoop was about. But Ian insisted that they shower together to save time, so he figured he’d go along with it at least to save water and the earth and shit. Of course once Ian was excited, Yevgeny was excited so if Mickey didn’t get excited he’d just get bugged all day by the fricken nice police. And so he allowed himself to be whisked up into the so called fun of the day. When there was no fun to be had; however, he found it a little difficult to not be grumpy.  

“You sure know how to make a guy question the relationship.” Mickey muttered.  

Ian rolled his eyes continuing to slather his boyfriend in sunscreen.  

“You’ll thank me later. Preferably on your knees for being such an ass. And the great news is you’ll actually be able to because you won’t have sun burn on your knees.” 

“Like the housewife I never asked for.” 

“Yet couldn’t function without.” He smirked kissing Mickey’s forehead before spraying him in the face.  

“Goddammit Ian!”  

Yev was a lot less childish letting Ian spray the sunscreen over his arms, legs, and face. All together they probably needed SPF200. They headed for the Pier in Ian’s car, Mickey’s collecting dust in the garage. The radio played loud and boisterous as exhilaration settled over them. Ian liked making Yevgeny happy and Mickey loved that Ian liked making him happy. So as much as he would’ve preferred sleeping in and hanging around all day he easily found himself happy through osmosis.  

Yev held steadily onto Ian and Mickey’s hands as they navigated themselves through the busy columns of people. Summer meant thousands of people all looking for the same fun day that they were.  

“Ian can I get on your shoulders?” Yev asked.  

Mickey’s eyebrows squinted as Yev climbed up. It was usually him who carried Yev on his shoulders. As much as he loved the constant growing friendship between them he kind of wondered what was so bad about his shoulders. They were growing closer every day to the point where it was getting more difficult to decide what Ian was, what they all were. Was it like a family? And if it was with Mickey as the dad and Yev as the son, what did that make Ian? Ian noticed, because Ian noticed everything about Mickey, and reached out to intertwine their fingers. The small smile he threw in Mickey’s directing was enough to take the edge off a little.  

They took pictures in a special themed photo booth, each getting to pick a pose. Yev wanted silly faces like tongues and cross-eyes, Mickey chose to have everyone flip off the camera much to Yev’s delight, and Ian got to kiss Mickey with Yev in front of them making a gagging face. Each boy was very happy with his picture, and then they were off again to make sure Yev had the best day ever. Nothing quite said best day ever like rides.  

It was mostly the kid friendly stuff like the carousel and the wave swinger with the chairs that swung around all over the place. Yev seemed to have the time of his life too. It helped that Mickey’s mood was always directly connected to Yevgeny’s, so the happier he was the happier Mickey was. It was all of them together having fun like a family. They ate lunch at an overpriced café that gave Yev an order of cheese fries the size of his head. The kid was having a field day and it’d barely struck one yet.  

“If you vomit again we’re gonna have to have a serious talk about your eating. Babies eat until they get sick, you’re seven.” Mickey smirked snatching a fry off his plate.  

Yev rolled his eyes. “You’re so overdramatic Dad.” 

“Cut the rolling of the eyes too. That’s my thing.”  

Ian just shook his head. “You two are the cutest.” 

“Ian, stop!” They whined in unison as he snapped a picture of them. 

“So, we can go to the IMAX theater, uh there’s the children museum, we can go by the water if you want.” Ian read from the map as they ate. 

“Can I ask you guys something?” 

Mickey and Ian quickly abandoned their food at the quiet tone of Yev’s voice. He was always comfortable with them so nerves were usually serious. 

“What is it Yevy?” Mickey asked. 

“I was just wondering how come we only get to live together during the summer? Fiona and Jimmy live together all the time and their kids always get to see them.” 

Mickey’s eyes widened at the new information. He’d been under the impression that Yevgeny was okay with their arrangement. He wasn’t aware anything had changed. Ian on the other hand kept his mouth shut letting the Father-Son conversation continue. 

“Fiona and Jimmy are married Yev.” 

Yev’s eyebrows leveled out, almost in confirmation. “So you got to be married to live together?”  

“Well no. I mean we don’t have to. We just don’t want to yet.”  

Yevgeny peered over at Ian just as he was composing his face. Truth be told there was nothing Ian would love more in the world than for them all to live together. It was Mickey who didn’t want to, Mickey who wasn’t ready, but he didn’t need to hear that from Ian.  

“Don’t wanna live together or get married?”  

“Neither.” Mickey said way too fast for Ian’s liking.  

“Well how come? You guys love each other right; what’s the big deal?” He demanded, frustrated.  

Mickey didn’t have an answer for that, which Ian found interesting. And quite frankly confusing. No one had ever confused him like Mickey.  

“Of course we love each other.” Ian smiled. “It’s just that stuff like that is big. It requires a lot of talking and planning ya know? Kind of like with Disneyland? It’s a bigger step for the future so it takes more work to get there.”  

Yev stabbed at his fries taking this new information in and slowly digesting it.  

“So you guys don’t live together cause Dad’s afraid?”  

Damn, that kid was either really perceptive or psychic. 

“N—No. I didn’t say that.” 

“Well when Debbie’s boyfriend didn’t wanna meet the family Fiona said sometimes boys are scared of commitment. And I heard Dad use that word once with you. How he had more than himself to think about before he could commit. Is it me? Cause that’s dumb. The world wouldn’t explode if I had two dads instead of one.”  

Mickey who had frozen at some point in the conversation, was staring wide-eyed at Yevgeny. Ian was freaking the fuck out internally of course because Yev had used the D word. The most wonderful word in all of the human languages. It left both men staring at the child like a fish out of water. They weren’t the most appealing faces in the world by far. Yev was starting to stare at them like there was something wrong and maybe there was.  

“You guys are weird.” He decided shaking his head. “Alright let’s go to the museum now.”  

Still not having quite conquered museum, that was the best they were going to get.  

The rest of the afternoon was a little stiff. Yev still had fun, which was the entire point of course, but Ian and Mickey seemed to be of in their own little worlds. Ian let Mickey carrying his son on his shoulders as they walked. He took the pictures as they tore through the museum with what could only be childlike vigor. He flicked through the camera a little frustrated that he wasn’t in enough of them for his liking. He’d thought he was fine with how they were doing things, and truthfully he had been. But the thought of having more was always enticing. He just wanted them to be a family, and though he respected Mickey’s wishes there was no way he could ignore the fact that Yev was most definitely with him.  

“Can I go play?!” Yev asked excitedly.  

They each nodded softly watching as the little boy went to go draw at a table. Mickey was leaning against one of the railings of the walkway with his shoulders crossed watching Yev while Ian faced the other direction. Conversations like that tend to go better when Mickey didn’t have to look him in the eye. 

“We’re not fighting are we?” Ian mumbled eyes on his hands.  

“Nah man, we’re good. Can’t let what a little kid says affect us right?”  

He frowned at that. “I—I guess not.”  

Mickey could tell Ian was biting his tongue. He had a habit of wanting to talk shit into the ground. He liked to dissect it from every angle whereas Mickey just wanted to ignore it all together. Needless to say finding some common ground was a little difficult. Ian didn’t press the issue though and for that Mickey was thankful, and frankly a little relieved. It took a while but they managed to find their groove again in time for the IMAX movie where Yev got to watch the panda bears. Somewhere in there he reached out for Ian’s hand and they might’ve kissed a little bit before Yev snapped at them for being gross. A parent can really never win.  

As the day grew shorter and the sun continued to sink in the sky they headed for the Ferris wheel before the fireworks started. Yev somehow was completely unafraid of heights and had been begging all day so they figured it was the perfect way to kind of bring their day to a close. Ian had offered for the father-son duo to sit together but Yev wanted his own seat, leaving Ian and Mickey side by side in their seat at the wheel took them over Lake Michigan. The water was a deep dark blue, the sun melting into its shimmering waves before disappearing all together. It was romantic and sweet and beautiful and Mickey was hell bent on ruining it.  

“The fuck are you lookin’ at Gallagher?” He mumbled at Ian’s absolute heart eyes.  

Ian took his cheek in his palm effectively shutting the older man up.  

“You. Talk. Too. Much.” He said closing the space between them.  

Yev didn’t even vomit when they kissed. It was this beautiful moment where Ian got to wrap his arm around his boyfriend and sit there while they watched his son beam like the world couldn’t get any better, and everything just felt right. He wondered how could he not want this forever? How could he not yearn to have every day be just like this one? He loved the both of them with everything in his being, and he wanted nothing less than all of them. 

They watched the fireworks as the sun dripped away bursting loud and heavy in the sky. Sitting on mounds of grass with their hands touching a child between them, Ian had never felt closer to Mickey. He knew that that was exactly what he’d been looking for, for years. He wanted family; he wanted to have people love him unconditionally not through blood, but just from wanting. He’d always wanted to feel…wanted. With Mickey and Yevgeny he had that feeling by the butt load. Despite his mania, despite all the things that he’d once hated about himself, two people cherished everything about him. He just wanted to protect that feeling.  

That night, after the bursting reds and blues of American pride in the air they walked back to the car much like they’d done just years before. But now Ian carried Yev. And Mickey let him hold his hand as they walked. He slid a sleeping Yev into the backseat clicking the seatbelt into place and kissing his forehead before closing the door. Mickey was waiting. He pressed him against the car fingers gripping the fabric that covered his waist. Ian leaned down to his height allowing his lips to be captured as a swarm of déjà vu hit him. Kissing Mickey Milkovich was a pleasure unlike any other, and he found great happiness in the fact that he was the only one who got to experience it. 

Later that night after Yev was in bed and they made it through two rounds of hot stickiness they lie together, Ian’s head on Mickey’s chest as he smoked. He watched him struggle with what he wanted to say knowing that their conversation from earlier was far from over. With a sigh he set his cigarette off to the side full aware of where they were headed.  

“Get on with it Gallagher.” He mumbled shifting deeper under the sheets.  

“Oh thanks Mick that really makes me feel better about this.” He huffed.  

It was quiet for a few minutes as Ian moved his fingers slowly along Mickey’s bare chest. They both seemed to get lost in the feel of each other’s skin, heartbeats evening out at the touch.  

“I love you . . .” Ian started.  

“I love you too.”  

“And I love Yevgeny.”  

“I know you do.”  

“Okay well your son asked us some really important questions today about the dynamics of your family. Life if I’m a part of it. And if so what does that mean? Am I… could I be like his dad? Are we ever gonna be more than we are right now?”  

Mickey groaned rolling over to dislodge Ian from his chest. 

“Can we not? Do we have to do this right now?”  

Ian bit his lip eyes drooping as Mickey’s words hurt his heart.  

“You never said . . . we never discussed.”  

“Of course we never discussed it; I thought I made it clear that this shit is hard for me. I’m not some fucking Pretty Woman that you can just fix up and turn into a functioning member of society. This is my shit okay? You asked me if I could put up with your shit and I can but this is mine.” He argued.  

“So what we just date for the next forty years of our lives? Yev grows up and graduates and I take the pictures at the party? Oh or maybe he gets married and at the wedding reception he says, ‘hey there’s my dad and his plus one!’ Is that all I’m ever gonna be to you?”  

“Oh jesus Ian you knew what you were signing up for with me this isn’t fucking new!”  

Mickey made his way out of the bed yanking on boxers and pacing around the room. Frustration and tension grew knotting in each of their stomachs. It was an argument they had before, but something about that time was different, something about that time had the feeling of a standstill, neither of them willing to budge.  

“I knew! I knew that you would take more time and I respect that, and I’m okay with that because I love you! I—I wanna be with you. But you gotta give me something here Mick. When are you gonna be comfortable moving forward? Will we live together when we’re thirty? Am I always gonna be introduced as your friend? And what the hell does that mean for me and Yev. I don’t wanna rush you I just . . . I just need to know we’re going somewhere with this. That you wanna go somewhere with me.”  

“I don’t know! I mean you’re fucking asking me to seal away my future with you like some goddamn contract. I can’t. I can’t do that. I don’t know what I’m gonna want in a year or five or ten. How the fuck could I? It ain’t my fault you’re never satisfied!” 

“Yea well it’s not my fault you’re petrified that someone might actually love you and stay! Here I am. It’s been two goddamn years and I’m still here and what, that means nothing? You can hold my hand and ride my dick but god forbid we live together right? God forbid I be something more to you and Yevy. I’m good for money and a fuck I get it.”  

He was out of the sheets in a huff yanking on boxers and sweatpants in his rush to get out of the room. The argument was dragging up bad shit for him. Because as terrified as Mickey was of being abandoned, Ian had the same fear, and he had no idea what he would do if Mickey one day just decided he didn’t want him. Just decided he hadn’t been good enough, didn’t deserve something good. Was it really so bad just to be wanted?  

“Where the fuck are you going Gallagher?”  

“Fuck you Mickey.” He grunted slamming the door on his way out.  

Apparently so.  

Ian stood outside the door for a minute allowing his heart to calm down. He shook his head at the childish yells and curses barely being concealed by the door. He was pissed and hurt and quite frankly a little defeated. There were times when he really thought Mickey and he were moving forward, creating a life together. But of course it was always one step forward and ten steps back. It was more than frustrating; it was infuriating. It hurt.  

He let his face fall into his hands when he heard the shuffle of tiny feet, and looked up in time to see Yev disappear around the corner. With a hefty sigh he stalked off to follow the little boy.  

He knocked on the door asking softly to come in.  

“Come in.” Yev yawned over-dramatically. “Ian? What’s going on?” 

He took a seat on the edge of the bed smiling slightly.  

“I thought maybe you heard some things that maybe weren’t meant for you to hear. You think that could be true?” 

Yev’s eyes dropped to his sheet as he managed a weak nod. 

“My fault.” He whispered.  

“Huh?”  

“It’s my fault you and dad were fighting.”  

He heard the sniffle and immediately scooped Yevgeny up into his arms. The little boy began to cry face hidden in his neck as the tears escaped.  

“Oh buddy it’s not your fault at all. Your dad and I are just trying to figure things out and it’s hard. It’s not you though. It’s me and him okay?”  

“Why were you yelling then? It’s because of what I said at lunch isn’t it?”  

“No your dad is just hard headed, you know that. Sometimes I try to get him to agree with me or see things how I see them and you know how well that goes. I promise you it isn’t your fault.” 

Wet blue eyes poked out from his neck peering up at him questioningly.  

“Pinkie promise?” He whimpered.  

Ian smiled softly. “What kind of a promise would it be without a pinky?”  

Ian’s longer one dwarfed Yevgeny’s to seal their promise. He wiped at the young boy’s eyes and cheeks to rid the bitter tears, kissing encouragingly at his hair. Yevgeny let himself be tucked back into bed immediately curling into the warmth of his . . . whatever Ian was. For a minute it was just quiet, each of them breathing slowly in and out.  

“Yev, what you said earlier, why you’d you bring it up?” Ian asked gently. 

He huffed. “I just want a family. Liam talks all the time about how you all used to be so close. You and Carl and Lip and Fiona. All of you. And even though your parents were bad he never felt like he was missing out. Fiona feels like his mom. I don’t gots a brother or a sister to play with and my only friends live far away. I don’t get a mom. I just want daddy to be happy and for us to be a family. I thought that if you got married maybe I’d have two parents instead of one. And we could be like a real family.”  

Ian’s eyes widened at that. “So you  . . . you would be okay if I was like… your dad?”  

Yevgeny winced. “I thought that you already were. But Ethan said you have to be married first. That’s how Fiona and Jimmy did it.”  

Ian could feel his heart thrumming in his chest. It was one thing to think Yev would be okay one day calling him dad, and another thing entirely to hear that he’d already thought he was. He understood he was young and naïve, but that did nothing to curb the happiness he felt inside. 

“Alright well we’ll talk about it tomorrow okay? It’s late and you had a big day, let’s get you to bed.”  

“Will you stay with me until I fall asleep?” The small boy whimpered.  

Ian felt something pop in his chest and he knew it was a firework show of its own.  

“Of course bud.” He murmured.  

Yevgeny curled up in Ian’s arms allowing the warmth to overtake him even as his mind continued to buzz with questions.  

“Ian?”  

“Yea?” 

“You’re not gonna leave again are you?” 

His arms tightened protectively around the child, heart threatening to snap in two.  

“No. Never.”  

*** 

Ian never came back to bed and the result was a terrible night of fucking sleep. Not that he liked to cuddle or anything, but he’d grown used to it dammit and two days without it was torturous . . . and cold. He thumped down the stairs and into the kitchen where Ian was already actively ignoring him. Yev sat at the table mixing some concoction in a bowl as his father raided the cabinet with Ian’s meds for the spare bottle of Tylenol. It was quiet and tense and he didn’t like it one bit.  

“What do you need medicine for Daddy?”  

“Slept wrong.” He mumbled.  

Ian’s smirk was so noticeable he felt it without even having to look. He stood at the stove still dressed in the sweatpants Mickey had yanked off the night before. Before it all went to shit. Mickey moved to lean against the counter next to him eyes on the water bottle in his hands.  

“Where’d you fuck off too last night?” He asked softly trying not to draw Yev’s attention.  

“Fell asleep with Yev.” He replied dismissively.  

“Yev?” 

Mickey’s eyes trailed over to his son who’s head snapped down when he was caught looking. 

“Yep. Kids tend to have trouble sleeping when they think their dad and his partner are breaking up because of him, and they're never gonna get a real family.” 

A mixture of hurt, anger, and confusion passed through him all at once. What he didn’t know. What Ian did. What Yevgeny had never bothered to tell him. 

“Hey Yev you wanna go find us some cartoons to watch?” 

Yev hesitated but quickly nodded scurrying off to the living room so the two adults could talk.  

“Now you wanna run that by me again, what you think you know about my kid?”  

Ian emptied a waffle onto a plate before turning to Mickey with a surprisingly hostile expression on his face fists coming down on the counter roughly.  

“I know that every bullshit excuse you fed me about Yev being the reason we can’t be together is just that. Bullshit. I know I sure as shit didn’t comfort him for crying over something _I_ did. That’s what I know.” 

Mickey’s hands clenched uncontrollably. Instinct began to flow, began to tell him to do something familiar. It was something he wasn’t supposed to do anymore.  

“I don’t need this shit.” He mumbled brushing past him. 

Ian snapped then jumping in front of Mickey with a rage he’d never seen on him before.  

“You wanna leave? Fine but you go tell him why. You don’t get to tell him I didn’t want him. You man the fuck up and you tell it it’s got nothing to do with him. That his dad didn’t want me. I’m not his dad right? I don’t get to love him and take care of him and be there for him? That’s your job? Good fuckin’ luck raisin a kid afraid to tell you how he really feels.”  

He stalked forward then leaving Mickey stunned into silence for the second time in less than twenty-four hours. When you’re from Southside you get used to people not giving a shit. Passionate acts of love just weren’t what he was sued to. It was foreign to him. He didn’t know how to digest someone loving his son enough to yell at him, to tell him the truth no matter what he had to say about it. Ian had surprised him time and time again but that might have been the biggest surprise of all. That he loved Yevgeny just as much as him.  

He grabbed a can of Pringles, what used to be a Milkovich breakfast, before slowly making his way to the living room where the look on Yev’s face made it blatantly obvious that they hadn’t gone unheard in their conversation.  

He took a seat on the floor next to Yev reaching for the remote to send them into a silence. With a sigh he handed Yev the Pringles.  

“Guess it’s time for you to tell me I’m stupid huh?”  

His little boy, who he swore shouldn’t be as big as he was, looked up at him with a mouth full of chips. Then he scooted so that he and his father were side by side so he could tell him how he really felt.  

“Sometimes I don’t tell you things cause I know you’ll get angry.” He admitted taking a pause. “I thought Ian was my dad.”  

Mickey felt his chest tightened and release all at the same time. He didn’t know what to feel at that. 

“I thought we were gonna be a family. I thought we would live together and I could see Ethan and Liam more often. I don’t . . . I don’t have a lot of friends at my school. I—I never have. But when Ian came around you were happy and I was happy and we didn’t stress about money any more. You never gave me your dinner and went to bed hungry. He takes care of us. You. Me. He loves us. And one day Ethan said you had to be married to be a family. So I just thought if you got married he wouldn’t leave. We could live happily. Like a real family. I know my mom didn’t want me. I know none of them did. But I don’t need a mom anymore, I don’t need a sister or brother either I just want you guys.”  

There were a lot of moments Mickey had never been prepared for in parenthood. The first time Yev called him daddy. The first time he fell and scraped his knee and cried. His first day of school and teaching him how to ride a bike. Those were all thing he had never expected to happen and at the time had no clue of how to deal with. His son telling him that all he wanted was a family that involved both him and his gay boyfriend was not something he could’ve prepared for. He sat for a while in silence scared and upset and confused all at the same time. A father just wants to give his son everything. But what do you do when what he wants isn’t what you’re ready for?  

“Come here.” Mickey mumbled scooping the young boy up and putting him on his lap. “Now I love you and I would do anything in my power to make you happy. And no matter how mad you think I’m gonna get doesn’t mean you should ever be afraid to tell me something. I’m always there for you and you first okay? But I come from a different kind of life than Ethan does. Me and my dad, we didn’t get along and he scared me a lot growing up. He did some things that still stick with me to this day. I can’t help those things. I can’t help who I am. Ian and I can’t get married because I’m not ready. I’m not . . . like other grown-ups. It takes me a while to get comfortable. Sometimes I don’t think I’m a very good person and I don’t think I deserve the good things that I have. Like you and Ian. It’s gonna take me a little more time to know that he’s not gonna go away.” 

“But he promised. Last night he promised he’d never leave. And you’re not bad daddy you’re the best dad in the whole world.” His son insisted determinedly, fingers grabbing at his cheeks.  

Mickey smiled softly. “Thanks buddy but I got a bad history of people makin’ promises that they don’t end up keeping. I’m not saying never I’m just saying . . . not right now. Okay?”  

“Yea, okay.”  

But the pout and the jutting of his lip said the exact opposite and Mickey found his chest tightening all over again.  

“Hey,” He murmured flicking at Yev’s chin. “That doesn’t mean you can’t look at us like a family. You’ve got a big heart Yevy and I’m never gonna stop you from loving who you want to with it alright?”  

“Okay.” He whispered pressing his forehead against his father’s.  

“You’re fucking amazing you hear me? And the people that aren’t around to see that don’t deserve you. So don’t ever worry about that shit.”  

He wrapped his arms around him keeping him protectively against his chest so that their hearts lined up. Yevgeny was his world. He’d changed everything about himself to be a better person, to be a dad because he couldn’t stand the thought of another person walking through life feeling unloved. So he would say anything to get him to know he was one of a kind, to get him to know he was his fucking son and no one was ever gonna change that.  

When they pull away it’s quiet for a moment and Mickey takes a huge breath to release a little bit of the pressure. Because that’s only half of the conversation and he’s got a feeling the one with Ian won’t go nearly as smooth.  

“You want me to see if you can go hang at the Gallaghers today? Maybe you can take that new movie Ian rented since we didn’t get a chance to watch it.”  

The boy’s face lit up and he was very aware of the fact that he never showed that enthusiasm when it came to the kids at his school. And his heart broke a little further because he knew that he’d let a lot of things go unnoticed with his son.  

He packed Yev up not having heard a word from Ian since he stormed off. One person at a time, he supposed. Fiona was happy to have Yev over though and didn’t ask questions about why Mickey might need to be alone on Saturday morning. He appreciated that.  

They drove his shitty car to the less than shitty Gallagher house where Yevgeny stumbled out of the car with a bag of toys and movies in tow to get to the friends that made his world a little brighter. Fiona was in t-shirt wet from washing dishes and her mom jeans turning an accusatory glance towards Mickey as their kids began to play.  

“I’m guessing the reason you called me up out of the blue has something to do with the fact that my brother’s not here am I right?”  

He sniffed scratching awkwardly at the back of his neck. “I’m trying here Fiona.” 

“What happened?” She asked.  

“Yevgeny wants us to get married. Apparently your kids decided only married couples get to be a family and seeing as how I’m only one person I guess I’m not family enough. You’re annoying fucking brother has cemented himself into our lives and now I’m never getting rid of him.”  

“Married huh? So Ian was happy and you were . . . not?”  

He gave her a look that answered the question.  

“Look Ian’s the romantic type, you know that. He’s the only one of us that’s loved fully and openly his whole life no matter how many times it might get his heart stomped on. He’s got a bigger heart than anyone I’ve ever met and sometimes that can be a little over bearing I get it. But if the worst thing my brother is doing is loving you than I’m sorry if I don’t really share your distain. Marriage is huge. Trust me I get that more than anyone. You might not be ready for that but maybe you could be ready for something else. Love’s all about give and take, Mickey, you just gotta decide what you’re willing to give.”  

He rolled his eyes groaning. “What the fuck am I supposed to give to the fucker he’s got a bazillion dollars he can have whatever he wants.”  

She snorted. “Gallaghers survive with or without cash. It’s not about cash, it’s about family. Just think about that.”  

And then she closed the door leaving him with absolutely NO FUCKING CLUE of what to do.  

“Fucking Gallaghers.” He spat to himself.  

Mickey made his way slowly back to Ian’s apartment wondering endlessly what the fuck he was supposed to say. He didn’t know how to make it better; he didn’t know how to be what Ian needed and that terrified the hell out of him because he couldn’t be any deeper in love with him. The thought of being without him was horrible. His stomach did crazy twists and turns the whole drive. And by the time he’d gotten off the elevator he was still at a loss to what he should say. Hesitantly Mickey shoved his key into his back pocket as he knocked on the door, acknowledging the fact that Ian might not want to see him.  

The door creaked slowly open, green eyes laced with red staring back at him. His heart immediately stuttered at the sight.  

“Thought you left.” Ian mumbled eyes on the wooden door.  

Mickey gulped working hard to wet his lips.  “I did.” 

That seemed to hurt Ian even more eyes releasing the pain before he quickly hid it all away.  

“Okay well did you forget something cause I’m kind of—” 

Mickey surged forward capturing his lips in a rough kiss. There was a lot of pain and hurt there for the both of them. A lot of things that they weren’t quite ready to feel. Ian got into it fingers reaching to claw at Mickey’s hair. He bit at his lips leaving them red and swollen as they stumbled into the apartment with need. That was something both of them were pretty good at. The rough grittiness of what sex could be. Of how you could show someone you loved that you hated them for a minute. That you were angry and sad and it was all their fucking fault.  

They don’t make it farther than the living room floor before ripping at clothes in between biting kisses and finger nails on scalps. And although Mickey was definitely the one to initiate, once he got Gallagher going the results were shattering. His fingers left bruises, hands gripped him so tight at times it was hard to breathe. But it felt good. Because they were upset and that was okay. He shoved him into the carpet covering his body with his own and that pace was brutal as they took all over their emotions out on each other.  

Coarse stuttering slams of his hips had Mickey mewling the most pathetic sounds he’d ever made. And he couldn’t even be mad. It was Ian. That wasn’t to say Mickey didn’t give it as good as he got either. He maneuvered Ian to his back straddling his hips with a vengeance. His fingers dug into Ian’s chest driving him into the plush carpet as they climbed higher together. They came with mangled shouts into each other’s mouths and it was the closest either of them had come to acknowledging the other’s feelings since the beginning of the argument.  

“Just took Yev to your sister’s. Wasn’t gonna leave you again.” Mickey mumbled slightly defensive, lips wrapped around a cigarette.  

Ian nodded softly eyes on his fingers that were still getting used to circulation after releasing their grip on Mickey.  

“I didn’t mean to . . . blow up like that. I know how hard this is for you. Shouldn’t have pushed it.” 

Mickey shook his head. “You were right. I didn’t listen. Didn’t even try. Sometimes I’d rather scream then talk. My fault okay?”  

“Okay.” Ian whispered face pressed into his shoulder. “You talk to Yevgeny?”  

He sighed. “Yea. Think my back and forth thing just fucked him up even more. I know what he wants but I can’t . . . I’m not…” 

“Hey. He wasn’t proposing on my behalf okay? I understand.” 

Their fingers intertwined and Mickey gave them a firm squeeze before peering into those green eyes.  

“You deserve the world though. Both of you.” 

“I think we’re perfectly fine with the world we got.”  

Mickey shook his head. “You’re not though. And I’ve been working so hard at the firm to make a better life for him that I didn’t see shit was falling apart anyway.” 

Ian nodded allowing Mickey to lean in closer to him as the words passed his lips.  

“He hates his school, doesn’t have any friends.”  

“I know . . . Liam.” He answered to Mickey’s questioning gaze. 

“Alright. Well maybe . . . maybe I move him out of the district. Find a new place.”  

Ian’s eyes seemed to tighten at that, but he said nothing.  

“Well what do you think?” 

“I think you should do whatever you want Mick.” 

He got up then, disentangling their legs and pulling boxers on. Mickey followed suite confused by the cold, abrupt behavior. 

“Uh did I do something wrong here?”  

“No Mick. We’re just peachy.” He muttered unconvincingly.  

“The fuck Ian; what’s the matter now? I thought this is what you wanted!”  

“Why would I want you to move even farther away from me?!Like you guys aren’t far enough from me as it is.”  

They were only a thirty minute drive from his apartment but that’s not important.  

Mickey scoffed doing that thing with his tongue and lip that meant he was either horny or angry. 

 He stalked towards Ian then whacking him roughly upside the head. Angry it is.  

“What the fuck Mickey!” He huffed rubbing his sore head.  

“I mean with you, you incompetent jackass!” 

“With me?”  

“Yea like together.” He explained voice softening. “We could live together . . . if you wanted. That’s my compromise.” 

“Together . . .  like me and you and Yevgeny?”  

Sometimes Mickey wondered how someone could be so pretty and so rich yet could be so stupid. 

“Jesus Ian yes. The three of us alright? That simple enough for you?”  

Ian wasn’t listening. He snatched Mickey up off the ground like a child the smile on his face so wide and bright Mickey had to shield himself. Before he could complain about being manhandled they were kissing. And then Mickey found out just how appreciative Ian could be. The answer was three times.  

“Course I wanna live with you.” He mumbled biting into Mickey’s neck as they struggled to catch their breath after moving to the bedroom. 

“We’ll get mail together. And Yevy can get off the bus and come to our home. Or I can pick him up cause you’ll be all ‘late nights at the office’. Can I do that?! Oh yes. I’ll cook you dinner in our kitchen. Redesign your closet. Throw a house warming party. Ugh it’ll be great.” 

Mickey snorted kicking him lightly in the thigh.  

“Sounds great Extreme Makeover but can we continue this conversation out of the wet spot?” 

They flipped over Mickey curling up on Ian’s chest. It was warm and perfect and he found himself envisioning days after work doing just that without any worries of who would go where the next morning. Maybe Fiona was right. Maybe just because he couldn’t give him everything right that very minute didn’t mean they couldn’t compromise. Although he was pretty sure there wasn’t anything he wouldn’t give Ian eventually  

“You got pretty worked up there today.” Mickey murmured fingers ghosting over his shoulders.  

“Yea well I know how it feels. I mean not exactly, but I know what it’s like to be afraid of not having a family. First time we ever got sent into the system was because my teacher called in about me not eating lunch every day when really I was saving my lunches for Debbie and Carl. I know what it feels like to think it’s your fault. It’s not a good feeling. I know what it’s like to only have one person who gives a shit about you, one parent at all and have it not be enough and feel like a piece of shit because of it. And Yevy of all people should just feel loved and adored all the time. I just wanted to give him that.”  

His fingers slipped over Mickey’s spine trembling slightly.  

“It’s only been two years Ian.”  

He snorted, voice slightly wet. “I fell in a love with Yevgeny after a month Mick. He showed me a drawing he did where the teacher told him to draw his favorite thing in the world and he drew you. A stick figure with black lines for hair, blue dots for eyes, and a smile the size of Jupiter. And he said that you made him feel good every day even when the other kids tried to make him feel bad. He loved you. And the look on his face was the most sincere, happiest look I’ve seen on a child since . . . since me for Christ’s sake. I fell for both of you. I would do anything to make him happy. Now, tomorrow, three years from now. That’s not going to change.  

“So you really wanna start your own family with us? A hard headed asshole and a kid in the fourth grade?”  

“Mickey, that’s the only thing I want.”  

He said it with such conviction that it was impossible to refute him. On the other hand he didn’t want the pity that saying “I don’t deserve you” would bring. So he snuggled deep into his chest where he felt warm and protected sighing heavily into his neck.  

“Okay.” 

*** 

They take Yev to the park as a “sorry we fought in front of you” kind of treat. Ian and Yev run around and play while Mickey watches them in mock boredom that really is just fascination. Ian looks like he’s happy as ever and Yevgeny looks like he’s having the time of his life. And he wondered then what Mandy would think. She’d been pissed at him before he even left, but he had to believe that she might be proud of him. Maybe she’d look at the life he carved out for himself and be happy for him. He had a family apparently. And if what they said about everything happening for a reason was true then he couldn’t be resentful towards his past. Except for Terry. He’d always hate Terry.  

They didn’t tell Yev that they planned on moving in together. Mickey wanted to make sure they actually found a place before getting his kid’s hopes up. He figured it wouldn’t even take that long, and then Yev could properly lose his mind. Maybe they’d look at the foreclosures or hit Google up and find something. Stupid Mickey. He forgot who he was dealing with because Ian’s plan didn’t exactly match up with his own so to speak. And Ian’s plans were going to get him killed. By Mickey.  

They’d each taken their lunch break to go look at a place together. Ian drove talking the place up as they inched deeper into the North Side. Mickey noticed that pillars on the houses got bigger, the lawns started doubling in size, and gates began to appear. The longer they drove the more disgusted Mickey began to feel. As if his nine to five suit and tie job didn’t irk the dirty thug inside him as it was, this was ridiculous. He was Southside! What did they need a gate for when he had a gun?  

“Ian what. did. You do?”  He muttered.  

Ian smiled sheepishly. “Just come look at least. I think you’ll be surprised.” 

“I think you’re gonna get stabbed by the end of this process.” 

“We’ll start big and work our way down alright? Let’s just see what works for us.” 

He smiled softly pulling the full force of his puppy dog eyes out so Mickey couldn’t say no. it was annoying.  

Mickey got out of the car only to be greeted by an overly cheerful woman in a pant suit. She might as well have been the devil. Her smile was border line serial killer, and she greeted Ian like he was her next victim.  

“Mr. Gallagher! I’m so excited to find you a new home. I’ve got some beautiful places to show you today. Shall we get started?”  

Mickey snorted knowing exactly what got real estate owners that happy. Million dollar business owners.  

Ian grabbed Mickey’s hand squeezing it in warning as they made their way inside.  

“Behave.” He muttered.  

Mickey immediately hated it. There was granite and marble everywhere the second you walked in the door. A huge winding staircase had Mickey out of breath just looking at it and the crystal chandelier didn’t help matters either. It was terrible.  

“This is an eight bedroom seven and a half bath. There’s a gym, pool out back, basement fully carpeted. Shall we start with the kitchen?” 

“Nah we’re good here.” 

“I’m sorry could you excuse us?” Ian smiled politely quickly turning on Mickey with a glare in her absence. “Mickey you promised.” 

“We both knew I was never gonna agree to this place. I’m not putting my kid in some mansion with a bunch of shit he doesn’t need so he can grow up not knowing how to wipe his own ass. I hate the kind of people who live in homes like this.”  

Ian scoffed. “Oh come on you said the same thing about my apartment it’s not even that bad. He’s still a perfectly good kid AND he can wipe his own ass.”  

“There’s a difference between living comfortable and being over the top buying things that no one needs just because you can. Find something that’s reasonable and I’ll look at it but this? Fuck this.” 

He stalked off towards the car waving his arms around in aggravation.  

“And find a goddamn yard you’ll be willing to mow! This shit is ridiculous!” 

Needless to say their first experience didn’t go too well. 

They sat down that night to talk, much to Mickey’s displeasure, about what each of them wanted in their home.  

“How the fuck should I know? I thought I’d be living in the Milkovich House of Horrors until my dad finally beat me to death.” 

Ian winced unconsciously wrapping himself tighter around Mickey.  

“Well now you’re not. Now you’re with me and I’m gonna take care of you and love you so tell me what you want.” 

He huffed hiding himself in Ian’s chest to escape the cheesiness of the moment.  

“’M not picky. Just want something normal.”  

“Normal. Okay . . . so normal like classic old house with a porch that grandma and gramps rock on while the grandkids run around? Or like something modern?” 

“I don’t know . . . No porch. But maybe something with a yard so Yevy can play. I’m not completely opposed to a pool either.” 

Ian smiled happy that he was playing along. “How big?”  

“Two bedroom.” He answered immediately. “What else do we need?” 

“Uh Mick I’ve got family. Lots of family. We need seven bedrooms at least.” 

“Seven?!” 

“Yea. Look Yevgeny can share with Ethan, sure, but Liam’s growing up he’ll probably get weird about that. Fiona and Jimmy need a room. Emma, Ava, and Chloe all need a room and even they’ll eventually grow up. Carl and Debs? Lip? We might even need eight.” 

Ian had apparently never heard of a fucking hotel.  

“The fuck would we need eight for?” 

Ian quieted then looking anywhere but Mickey’s face, which was never a good thing. It took a lot for him to be embarrassed so whatever it was couldn’t be good.  

“What is it?”  

“You know just if . . . if we ever decided to expand our own family a little. If we wanted.”  

The phrase you give a kid an inch and he takes a mile was specifically made for Ian Gallagher. Because of course after a fight about commitment and compromise, what Mickey was willing to give, Ian would suggest they might have another kid. He wouldn’t be Ian if he didn’t. 

Mickey sighed. “I’m gonna go grey before I’m forty with you.”  

Ian smiled guiltily at him, cheeks a rosy pink so much cuter than Mickey’s blatant harsh red blush. He kissed him as a way of saying he wasn’t ready to talk about it but snuggled deeper into his chest.  

“Four, alright? But I don’t want a whole bunch of rooms that no one ever uses. No multiple dining rooms, or so-called ‘studies’ or anything like that. I don’t want a maze. I just want something simple.” 

“Okay. Sounds good.”  

“Good . . . Can we have sex now?”  

“Duh.” He smirked rolling over on top of his boyfriend.  

There was always a compromise.  

It took a while. Ian would send Mickey pictures of a house and there was always something incessantly wrong with it. Too big. Too gaudy. Too Yellow? Too many trees. Not enough bushes. Fire place looks weird. For someone who clung so desperately to his masculinity that he refused to watch E! Network or step foot inside a crafting store, Mickey sure had an eye for detail. With his more than difficult boyfriend he had to come up with other options.  

“Hey Yevy you wanna come with me for a little while before I take you to Fiona’s? It’ll be like our little secret.”  

Yev was a fourth grader though . . . not four.  

“A secret as in Dad can’t know?” He asked.  

“Uhhh you know we’ll see. Let’s just keep it between us for now and tell Dad later how about that?”  

“Okay.” He shrugged.  

They took a drive out towards the neighborhood that the big Gallagher house resided, Yevy sitting in the front seat and legs no longer dangling. He was getting bigger every day and Ian had a sneaking suspicion that he would outgrow Mickey and the day would be absolutely glorious. He knew that being somewhat close to Fiona meant Yev could go to the same school as Ethan, the girls, and Liam. He also knew Mickey and his sanity was all based on just how far away they could be from his family. He wanted them to have their time as a family without being crowded by Gallaghers.  

This new neighborhood was a little more upscale with middle class houses sprinkled throughout. It was like a suburb with a little more money and a little more grit, probably filled with more Southside natives who had made it out. The real estate lady had been pissed because it was so below  his budget that it wouldn’t even put a noticeable dent into their finances, but he didn’t care. Because hopefully it would make Mickey and Yevgeny happy and that was all he really cared about.  

“Ian so nice to see you again.” She smiled reaching out to shake his hand.  

He nodded gesturing to the small boy beside him.  

“Yev this is Ms. Julia, Julia this is Yevgeny. He’s my . . .”  

He stared down at him confused as to what he should call him anymore. He didn’t want to call him his son cause what if that made him uncomfortable? What if it made him feel like he was obligated to call him dad, or only got to be his dad because he bought them a house, like he owed it to him or something. It was a lot harder than he thought.  

“He’s my uh helper for the day.” He settled.  

“Well it’s very nice to meet you Yevgeny. Would you like to see the house?”  

“Sure.”  

He had a shrug like his father’s and it was the cutest thing in the world to Ian.  

They headed inside hand in hand as Julia showed them around. It was all plush carpet and hardwood floors. The kitchen was similar to the one at Ian’s apartment with all granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. A huge dining room awaited that would be perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas. There were three levels and the basement was bare enough that they could probably transform it into a kids room/sleeping quarters when anyone stayed over. Still they had four bedrooms and four and a half baths which was perfect. There was a pool for Mickey. A Jacuzzi for Ian. A huge backyard for Yevy that he was most definitely getting a riding lawnmower for. It was a nice big house that didn’t have too much random shit in it so that it still felt homey, but gave room to do whatever you wanted. It was a pretty home, and the best part was that Ian could see a life for them there. And that was all he really wanted.  

He led Yev into the room next to the master bedroom which he assumed would be the one he’d want. It was bigger than the one he had at Ian’s apartment and he figured he could probably sell him on with decorating.  

“So what do you think?” He asked him.  

They sat on the floor peering at the bare walls and empty space. He thought Yev might be too young to understand what was happening. He was stupid because Yev seemed to be a genius.  

“Would this be my room?”  

Ian smiled. “That’s something I want to talk to your dad about. That’s a big reason I wanted you to come today though. I wanna know that if one day we do live together that you’re happy and that you feel like you’re at home. I don’t want there to be a this house and that house situation.”  

“I like it. It’s big like your apartment but . . . simple I guess.”  

Ian’s eyes widened at that particular word because that had been exactly what he was going for.  

“Good. You think your dad might like it?”  

Yev paused to think before ultimately nodding his head.  

“As long as he doesn’t have to clean. He always cusses when he cleans.”  

“He cusses whenever he does anything.” Ian smirked causing them both to laugh.  

They laid back on the floor for a second both staring up at the ceiling and thinking. Ian should’ve been at work by now but he didn’t really care. He’d stay with Yev all day if he needed.  

When they were walking back to the car Yev looked up at him, dark hair falling into his adorable little face and smiled.  

“Thanks for taking care of us. Even if it’s only for my dad I don’t really care. Just thanks.” 

Ian frowned at that but let him climb into the car.  

That was the most frustrating thing about Milkovichs. They were tough. They were adorable and sweet and when they allowed themselves to, they loved harder than anyone. But it was also nearly impossible for them to see themselves as they truly were. To know that they were worthy of the world and then some. To know that they were loved.  

He stopped at Fiona’s letting Yev climb back out before he scooped him up and sat him on the trunk of his car.  

“Can I share a secret with you Yev?”  

The little boy nodded kicking his legs out over and over again despite the fact that he kept colliding with Ian’s.  

“I love you.”  

Yevgeny smiled and snorted. “That’s not a secret Ian!”  

“It’s not? Then how come you seem to think I only take care of you cause you’re your dad’s son?”  

His smiled dropped eyes landing in his lap as he twisted uncomfortably.  

“Well don’t you? Just cause I’m a kid don’t mean I’m dumb. I know that if I wasn’t here my dad wouldn’t be so hard on you all the time. He probably would be nicer to you and stuff. You take care of me so that dad isn’t mad right?”  

Ian rolled his eyes running his fingers through Yevgeny’s hair. “You and your dad are like the same person you know that? I will have you know I take care of you because you are one of the smartest, coolest damn kids I’ve ever met in my life. And look at my family I’ve met a lot of them. There are plenty of people, Yev, that only pretend to be nice to kids just to make the parents happy. Those aren’t good people. I love you like I love my own brothers and sisters but it’s different somehow. It’s almost like a different kind of love.”  

Yev didn’t seem to buy it all that much though so Ian huffed racking his brain for a way to explain it.  

“Think about it like this. Do you like me?”  

“Well, yea.”  

“Okay. Do you love me?”  

Yev smiled. “Sure.”  

“How come?”  

“Cause you’re nice to my dad. And you’re nice to me. And you make us happy all the time.”  

Ian grinned throwing his hands up. “Exactly! I love you cause you’re nice to me. And you make your dad happy. And believe it or not you really make me happy. Now you gotta stop blaming yourself for what happens between me and your dad. We’re adults. We’re also stupid sometimes. But we’ll work it out. It’s never about you, you have to know that.” 

Yev nodded shyly ducking his head down again. So much like his dad it was actually ridiculous.  

“I—I know. But every time I tell dad that he asks like he doesn’t know. Just thought maybe I was the one who was wrong.”  

Ian sighed wrapping his arms around the boy he’d loved for two years straight. Maybe nothing would ever be simple with those two. But he was always willing to try.  

“You’re not wrong. Life doesn’t always have to be super hard. I just wanna make it easier okay? For the both of you . . . Starting with you not spending your summer cooped up in a boring office. What do you say we go see if Fi made lunch yet?”  

Yev reached up to tangle his arms around Ian’s neck nodding into his shoulder.  

“Okay.”  

*** 

 

“Ian!” 

“Alright I’ll talk to you at lunch. Love you too.” He murmured affectionately slipping the phone into his pocket. “Oh Lip how happy I am to see you.”  

“Where the fuck have you been we had a meeting!” His older brother yelled.  

“Ahh I forgot man sorry.” He shrugged.  

Ian headed towards his office a fuming Lip following behind him.  

“Hey if you’re gonna be a part of this company the least you can do is fucking show up.”  

Ian raised an eyebrow. “Are you kidding right now or are you serious?” 

“I’m dead serious.”  

“Lip you once showed up forty minutes late to a meeting that guaranteed whether or not we could open headquarters in England, a meeting that later lead to over thirty percent of our revenue. And you showed up in a t-shirt. I’ve been to almost every single meeting ever whereas you have been to maybe ten in the last two years. I had shit to do for once.”  

He rolled his eyes. “And just what was so important that you had to miss our meeting?”  

“I took my kid to see a house alright? Does my fucking alibi check out with you sir or would you like to check the mileage on my car?!”  

Lip seemed to huff at that tugging frustratingly at his hair. Lip was always the hardest on Ian about his relationships, and the relationship with Mickey was no different. If anything he seemed to be more bitter about it. Yevgeny didn’t really help the situation.  

“Your kid? Oh come on we do not have time for you to play house with Mickey right now; we have a company to run! You needed to be here, not with _his_ kid, and you weren’t. So now you’re the one that has to fly out to California and fix it. We had a real shot here to open up another store and now investors are questioning us. You go and smooth it over.”  

The hardest thing about owning a company with your brother, especially a company that somehow did really fucking well, is that no matter what you’re still brothers. To say emotions aren’t going to get in the way is a bold face fucking lie and tensions almost always run high at some point. Lip was a soft spot for Ian because he was his older brother and knew all his weak spots. He was really good at making Ian feel like shit. If anything went wrong in the company, no matter how small, Ian almost always took the blame. But for once he wasn’t willing to apologize. He wouldn’t say sorry for getting closer to Yevgeny, for building a life for himself outside of the company. Lip could kiss his ass.  

“I run this fucking company twenty-four seven. I let you walk around and do whatever the fuck you want because you’re Lip and you’re the brains and no one can do anything without Lip right? You wanna get mad at me because I missed one fucking meeting go ahead, and I’ll go to California and fix everything because that’s what I do while you sit on your ass and do absolutely fucking nothing. But if you’re looking for some kind of goddamn apology for spending time with my own family then go fuck yourself cause it ain’t happening.”  

He stomped out of the office mumbling something about a lunch break when some of the employees gave him looks. They ran a tight ship in the sense that everyone knew Lip and Ian were always ready to do what needed to be done. Mostly everyone had seen them fight at one time or another, but they all relied on the fact that the two always came back together. Also they were pretty lenient bosses so there wasn’t much to complain about regardless.  

Twenty minutes later he was sitting at Mickey’s office bothering the hell out of him because his company provided over forty percent of the law firm’s revenue and nobody could tell him shit.  

“He’s such a fucking asshole.” Ian ranted for the tenth time since he’d gotten there. “I mean where does he get off telling me I’m not pulling my weight?”  

Mickey sighed turning away from his computer to focus on his grumpy giant.  

“How were you late anyway? I thought your mental clock was like an hour ahead of everyone.”  

Ian shrugged not meeting his eye. “Me and Yevy ran a little late this morning with traffic that’s all.”  

“You tell your brother that?”  

“Of course I did. He’s just an unreasonable jackass.”  

Mickey snorted. “That’s why he’s mad then. It’s just cause it involves me or the kid.”  

“Mickey don’t—” 

“It’s the truth. I don’t need your brother’s fucking approval. Sucks you gotta leave though. Don’t think we’ve ever been in your apartment without you.”  

Ian sighed moving the wheels of his chair till he was parked in front of Mickey pressing their foreheads together in reassurance. His fingers trailed over where his tattoos would be if there wasn't make up covering them up. He kind of love that man to death.  

“You could always come with me. Could take Yevy to DisneyLand. I’ve got coupons on sunscreen.”  

Mickey laughed. “Of course you have coupons on sunscreen. I’m dating a sixty year old woman.”  

“No one is older than you Mickey. You are the old man that sits outside on his rocking chair shouting at the children of the neighborhood and reminiscing when you could still get a tank of gas for a quarter.”  

“You’re an ass. And despite your insistence that I never work a day in my life and become a housewife sitting on my ass all day eating bonbons we both know I can’t miss anymore work. So I will just have to be very angry at you until you get back.”  

“It’s a great ass to sit on though.” Ian whined copping a feel.  

“Again. Work. Control yourself.”  

“Fine. But we have lots to talk about when I get home. And no fake snoring like you do every time I wanna talk about something half way serious I know you’re faking jackass.” 

“Fine. Now are you gonna wine and dine me today or just keep yelling at me.” Mickey muttered standing up from his desk.  

Ian smirked.  

“What I can’t do both?”  

*** 

 

“Where are you going?” Mickey huffed.  

They were lying on the couch, lights dimmed with a movie playing and Yev had finally fallen asleep. Mickey was lying comfortably in his boyfriend’s arms with his kid curled up beside him when said boyfriend had to get up and ruin every fucking thing.  

“I gotta pack, my flight’s at ten in the morning and thanks to you I haven’t packed a single thing.”  

“What it’s a bad thing to keep you busy in bed now?”  

Ian smirked leaning over the couch to kiss him softly. “Never. But I do have to pack.”  

“Yea, yea I’ll take the kid to bed.” He offered.  

With Yevgeny knocked out Mickey headed to the bedroom where Ian was folding dress shirts and khakis that Mickey had grown to love taking off. The whole leaving thing set a bitter taste in his mouth. Quite frankly it seemed like the suckiest idea of all time.  

“How long you gonna be gone?” 

Ian turned a teasing grin on him. “Why you gonna miss me Mick?”  

“Oh fuck off.” He muttered not meeting the redheads eyes. 

Ian set his ties to the side crawling onto the bed next to his boyfriend who said so much when he didn’t speak.  

“Three days Mickey. That’s all.” He murmured reassuringly.  

Mickey twitched slightly anxious as he feigned a not caring attitude. His fingers came together and flew apart in an attempt to keep himself busy.  

“Yea. Sure . . . Like three days and you come back on the third day or three full days and then your back?”  

“The second one.” Ian said trying to hide his amusement at Mickey’s attention to detail.  

A flustered Mickey Milkovich was the cutest Mickey Milkovich.  

“So four.” And the glum way in which he said it nearly broke Ian’s heart. Like a beaten down kitten he was.  

“Yea I guess. But I’ll be back before you know it. And I’ll call and bug you at work. And face time you at night . . . and send you all of the smiley faces your heart desires. It’ll be like I never left.”  

Mickey snorted knowing there used to be a time where he would despise every one of those things. But not now. Not with Ian.  

“Go start the shower huh? I’ll finish up here and come join you.” 

His lips were at Mickey’s temple laying cool sweet presses to the skin. He nearly purred at the contact.  

“Alright.”  

There were few sights in the world more painstakingly beautiful and precious than Mickey when he was naked. And Ian could think of no better way to end the evening. They lie in bed that night naked under cool sheets running their fingers along each other’s faces as if to hold on to every memory they could. It was a little ridiculous, but that was okay. Sometimes it feels good to be over dramatic with love. Why love if you’re not gonna do it full throttle right? 

*** 

 

Ian knew immediately that something was off. For one, he wasn’t wrapped around his much smaller grown man of a boyfriend like a cub on a mother’s back. Two, something was burning. And three, it was way too quiet. With his meds down and water to clear the sleep from his eyes he found the most adorable duo ever trying to burn the whole building down. There was apparently a reason Ian did all the cooking other than Mickey being lazy. He was lethal in the kitchen. And not in a good way.  

Mickey was standing at the stove glaring down at blacken circles that might have been pancakes at some point in utter frustration. Meanwhile Yev just cheered gleefully beside him as if it was the funniest thing ever. They were both covered in batter and flour and Yev’s ipad looked like it had endured half the battle itself.  

“Fuck this let’s just go get him Denny’s.”  

Ian chuckled at the sight drawing attention to himself from the two whiter than usual men.  

“We made breakfast!” Yev declared. “Dad burned the pancakes though.”  

“Little shit.” Mickey grunted tugging on Yev’s leg till he felt to the ground. “No one likes a snitch son.”  

They literally couldn’t be any cuter.  

Ian laughed picking Yev back up off the floor as he whined about child abuse.  

“Thanks guys. It’s the thought that counts.”  

“How about toaster waffles? I can do toaster waffles.” 

Ian beamed. “Sounds perfect.”  

They had a really cozy breakfast at the table, Yev and Mickey using enough syrup to drain Canada’s supply. Ian couldn’t help but feel like endless sunshine inside at the thought of his two favorite people making him breakfast. Like a family. His heart fucking soared at it. 

Mickey made him his favorite smoothie: wheat grass, strawberry, kale, and kiwi. There were scrambled eggs and waffles and fruit. It was a very Ian like breakfast. And his boyfriend and his son made it even better. Mickey definitely wasn’t a morning person so for him to be up before Ian was impressive. And Yevgeny was just the sweetest person twenty-four hours a day. It was a great start to just sit at a table with those two. They made it hard to contain his utter and complete happiness.  

“Come here.” He smiled tugging Mickey towards him as soon as their bedroom door was shut.  

Their lips slotted together pleasured groans passing between them as they kissed. They were supposed to be getting ready to go to the airport but there was always time for love. For all the hesitance that Mickey brought he was easily the greatest love Ian had ever known. He gave himself to Ian as much as he could, and he always went out of his way to make the other man happy. It just made Ian want to make him happy too. It made Ian wanted to give him everything.  

“Lie down. I want you.” Ian mumbled nipping at Mickey’s throat. 

His fingers toyed with the waistband of Mickey’s sweatpants palming him through the thin material.  

“Jesus, Gallagher I oughta make you breakfast more often.”  

“Mhm.” He purred nuzzling skin below his belly button. 

He pulled his sweatpants down his thighs leaving open mouthed kisses on any skin he could touch. Ian was grateful for everything Mickey had done and what better way to praise your boyfriend than suck his dick? Exactly. 

Mickey grunted lowly fingers moving into Ian’s hair as he sucked him hard and slow. His mouth was a fucking vice and the heat was remarkable. It was like a religious experience with Ian. He had him gripping sheets and crying out to a God he wasn’t sure existed. His hips would buck and Ian would go deeper than he thought physically possible swallowing around him until he convulsed. He panted and stared wondering how he could possibly make him feel that good. It was ridiculous… fucking glorious… beautiful… 

“Dad!”  

“Oh fuck—WHAT?!”  

“I can’t find my shoes!”  

Ian’s tongue was doing very disgusting things that were making Mickey’s dick weep.  

Mickey’s fingers tightened in Ian’s hair huffing and puffing up a storm.  

“D—Don’t stop.” He mumbled. “Just—Look downstairs by the couch okay?! Be out in a second!”  

“Ugh okay!”  

They heard the stomping of tiny feet and then Mickey’s jaw locked as Ian purposely gagged himself on his cock.  

“Ian. Ian fuck.” He whined back arching and leading with his dick.  

His fingers were starting to cramp and his cock was leaking badly the closer he got. And Ian never let up, it was just a constant tight pressure on his dick and it felt absolutely amazing. His son on the other hand was a menace to society.  

“DAD!! THEY'RE NOT DOWN THERE!” The little boy screeched.  

“Oh for the love of god Yev just give me two—” He paused with a grunt as Ian swallowed around him again. “one—one minute. Just one more minute!”  

“Can’t I just come—”  

“NO!!!! I—I’m getting dressed alright! One minute.”  

Which quickly turned into twenty seconds as Ian managed to give him the most intensive head of his life. As Yev's footsteps disappeared again so did his patience causing him to have an orgasm that was clearly meant to rival all other orgasms. Ian grinned as Mickey collapsed like jello against the bed, cock twitching as he licked and sucked him clean.  

"You ever make me whine like a bitch like that again and I'm kicking your ass." Mickey groaned sprawled out sleepily like a starfish.  

Ian chuckled. "Come on. There's no time for naps go help Yev find his shoes. He left them by the pool table. I would've said something but I kinda had a mouth full."  

Mickey just looked at him for a second. He wanted to soak in the feeling of knowing that the very person who would one day be the end of you was standing right before you. Surely that shit didn't happen every day.  

"Jackass." He muttered pulling his sweatpants up and stalking towards the door.  

"Love you!" Ian called after him.  

"Yea love you too."  

And he did. Way too much.  

They drove to the airport with ridiculous pop tunes blasting so loud that if they'd been in Southside Mickey wouldn't dare have the windows down. And yet there was his boyfriend and his son rocking out like they were at the grammys and his smirk was near impossible to contain. He wondered when this had become his life. Seven am drives to the airport with the sun streaming in and Ian's hand in his. Every now and again he'd just stop and look at how much his life had changed. Then he would smile and keep living because damn had it changed for the better.  

"I'll see you later bud." Ian grinned lifting Yevgeny off the ground to hug and kiss him. "I'll bring presents too, promise."  

"Okay. Love you." The little boy smiled wrapping his arms tight around the redhead.  

And then it was Mickey's turn and he knew he had to sike himself up for the physical contact but there wasn't any time before Ian wrapped his arms around his neck like a teenage girl and hugged him tighter than ever.  

"Just three days." He whispered but it sounded like he was trying harder to convince himself at that point than Mickey.  

"Yep . . . I love you ya know."  

Ian leaned back slightly at that pulling him in for a kiss in what felt like all of Chicago. But the second the warmth touched his lips it felt like it was just them again. Just Ian making him feel warm and content with his tongue. Long deep kisses turned to quick, staccato ones as he smiled as him like he was the world. That look never made any sense to Mickey. But he appreciated the hell out of it.  

"I know. I love you too." He murmured.  

"Mkay." He grinned looking down shyly.  

They hugged and kissed a couple dozen more times in between blowing raspberries all over Yev. And then he was gone and so was the sun. It was actually ridiculous how much they missed that jackass only for him to turn right around and come back. 

"Hey! Don't forget to take care of my baby!"  

The father-son duo looked at each other both curious which baby he was referring to.  

Ian snorted. "My car you guys. She needs love and affection while I'm away."  

They both rolled their eyes simultaneously. There went that moment.  

*** 

Three days were hell. The apartment was empty and quiet and their bed was always cold at night. Mickey hated it. He'd grown very fond of his Gallagher and he didn't appreciate his bitch ass brother for shipping him off to the fucking sunshine state and leaving nothing but grey skies in his wake. God he'd gotten gayer and it was all his fault.  There was no fooling around in the shower, no "waking up" together, no homemade breakfast, no totally unwanted cuddling, no bolstering laugh that seemed to bounce off the walls. It was the worst. 

Not that Ian didn't keep in touch cause he did. . . Allllll the time. He always face timed them while Mickey read Yev his bed time store which he was now reading to them himself. At work he'd call and tell him all the things he was doing in California, how beautiful it was. They talked in hush whispers at night admitting things one could only admit through the phone with a hand down their pants in a cold bed. Ian bugged him at work constantly and Mickey didn't like it. At all. But by the third but really fourth day Mickey kind of missed his redheaded idiot. The apartment was way too big without him and Yev could tell that Mickey was a little down. 

"Is Ian coming home today?" He asked as they stopped at Fiona's that morning.  

"Yep. I'm gonna pick him up this morning and we'll both come pick you up tonight okay?" 

He grinned. "Good. That way you won't have to be sad anymore. This is why you should just get married."  

Mickey rolled his eyes. "Alright generic Dr. Phill let's get you inside huh? I hear Fiona and Debbie are taking you guys to the park today."  

That seemed to deter the boy's talks of marriage. At least for the time being.  

So he dropped Yevgeny off and headed for the airport to meet Ian in time. He'd gotten the earliest flight he could and Mickey wanted to see him as soon as physically possible. Like right that very minute. And the fact that his nine am light didn't let people off till nine twenty-two had some very Southside like feelings coming out of him that nearly resulted in the black eye of a guard and probably a major arrest. It was annoying as all the fucks. He wanted his Gallagher dammit. 

The Gallagher he got was his favorite Gallagher. Not the one he saw that first time, the one from the grocery store that made his mouth water and back straighten. Gone were the button up shirts and ties with expensive ass dress shoes. He wore sweatpants and a Batman t-shirt Yev got him for his birthday. He hadn't shaved his scruff yet and his hair was a curly mop instead of the usual gelled straight style he always wore. He was kind of really beautiful, not that he needed to know that, the cocky fucker.  

"Hi." Mickey murmured shyly. 

Ian dropped his bag to his side taking Mickey's face clear in his hands as he kissed him passionately. Tongue and teeth quickly entered the picture having Mickey think that Gallagher never needed to go anywhere without him again.  

"Damn Gallagher you gotta do this whole off to war shtick more often." He hummed.  

Ian wasn't done with him though scooping his tiny legs up off the ground and Mickey was just dazed enough not to hit him for it.  

He groaned pleasantly. "You wore the jeans I asked you to wear. I missed this ass so goddamn much Mick."  

His cheeks warmed at that a smirk coming to his lips.  

"Well that's great Freckles but you are totally holding me in the middle of an airport right now and that's a little too gay for my tastes so let's get this show on the road." 

Ian rolled his eyes but dropped his boyfriend to the ground snatching his hand up viciously in his own. And if Mickey intertwined their fingers and settled himself closer to Ian as they walked back to the car that was no one's business but his own.  

"Ah Delilah, my baby! You waxed her didn't you? Did you get the clear coat?" He smiled throwing his bag in the back seat.  

"You're obsession with this car and lack of obsession with me is really breaking my heart over here Gallagher."  

Ian grinned pressing Mickey gingerly against the car where his fingers could grab at the hips he'd very much missed.  

"I don't know what you're talking about nothing gets me hotter than someone who takes good care of my car." He whispered voice husky as his lips touched Mickey's throat.  

Mickey was much more lenient with what Ian could get away with when they were at the car. He let Ian wrap his arms around his waist, let him kiss him until his knees felt week and his heart hammered pitifully between them. That scruff on his face and the curls that felt soft under his fingers had him a little off course. There wasn't anything in that moment he wanted more than Ian. 

"I gotta tell you the rough look's getting me going." He chuckled wrapping himself tighter around Ian.  

"Yea? You work today?" 

Ian's large hands were holding his face swooping in for kisses that made it very difficult to answer his question.  

"I should." Kiss. "Lots of—mmm paperwork." Another kiss. "Filing." Tongue.  

"I'd rather take you home and fuck you until the only thing you can remember is my name."  

"That . . . Yes let's do that, now."  

Never had Mickey been more grateful for that goddamn sports car in all of his life. A life saver that thing was.  

*several hours later* 

"It's dark outside Ian."  

"Oh come on just one more time? I'm backed up over here."  

Mickey snorted. "You're a fucking giant with a mammoth penis that needs a tranquilizer or something."  

"Very funny. Make fun of your boyfriend who slaved away for the past ten hours to bring you four orgasms back to back, that makes sense."  

They were lying on the floor of their bedroom after _someone_ "accidentally" knocked them to the ground with the octopus tentacle he called a penis. They were sweaty and sticky and as peaceful as anyone could be without weed, in Mickey's opinion. He also would never actually deny Gallagher sex. It was mind blowing fucking sex and he wasn't stupid, he just liked making him sweat.  

"Tell you what, you reach the condoms and we can go another round cause my ass ain't moving." He huffed.  

"Oh Mick that's so far away! Can't we just do it without one? I'm faithful, you're faithful, we're clean. Don't you love me?" He panted.  

Mickey rolled his eyes. "This ain't the time for your commitment talks. You wanna get on me you'll find a way to get those giant ass legs of yours moving."  

He had a vague sense that they were forgetting something, but he tended to forget most things after being knocked into Ian's thick ass mahogany headboard enough times, so he chose to ignore it. Speaking of asses, Ian's looked pretty damn good when he managed to stand up on trembling legs. Nothing gave Mickey greater satisfaction than watching that man come undone. Sure Ian was big and strong and amazing, but he always seem to fly apart under Mickey's finger tips and he absolutely fucking loved it. He kind of loved him too. A little bit. A lot a bit. Whatever no biggie.  

Though they'd started and stopped numerous times throughout the day every time Mickey saw him hard and waiting he couldn't help but move closer. It wasn't even an option of wanting Ian. It was instant, a normal reaction for him. He seated himself firmly on Ian's cock tired of the burn of the carpet on his back. His fingers traced pale skin and freckles wanting to map out the stars with his hands. God he was so beautiful, it hurt.  

He thought of how different his life had become with Ian. Not with the physical stuff even, but just how much he had changed because of him. This was his life now. Touching someone over and over again because you can't stand to be apart. Moving in with someone and trusting them with your body and your soul and your kid . . . your kid.  

"Oh shit, Yevgeny!"  

Ian's hips stuttered. "Ew Mickey what the fuck! Don't mention Yev when my dick is in you!"  

"No you fucking idiot we forgot Yev!"  

"Oh shit."  

They struggled to pull out and on shorts and pants, Ian trying to get Fiona on the phone as they ran for the car. It was a much shorter ride than it should've been with Maniac Gallagher behind the wheel. Still they were over three hours late. Nothing says father of the year like forgetting to pick up your son because you're too busy fucking your boyfriend. He felt like a literal piece of shit. Plus his ass was about as sore as he could handle without being bed-ridden. He blamed Ian. But that didn't make him feel any less shitty.  

"Well, well, well what do we have here?" Fiona grinned blocking their way inside.  

"Come on Fi, it's been a long day. Let us in." Ian groaned. 

"I bet. I mean your clothes are rumpled. You were practically panting at me over the phone. You each have bruises and apparently bite marks on your necks. Now either there was an animal attack you didn't tell me about or . . .  my little brother was too busy gettin' busy to even call and say he'd be late to pick up his kid. Tsk. Tsk." Her eyes gleamed.  

Mickey threw his hands up in frustration. "Oh for the love of god no one says getting busy anymore. You're a giant just pick her up and move her!"  

She cackled but otherwise moved out the way enjoying their reddened cheeks like the devil she was.  

Yevgeny was lying on the couch with the rest of the kids. Everyone had fallen asleep watching some animated movie and it didn't really seem like he was too upset that he was still there. Still Mickey swallowed heavily leaning down to pick up his son despite his now substantial weight. It wasn't exactly funny to him that he'd forgotten his own son for some dick. He was having trouble discerning the fact that Ian was his actual legitimate boyfriend and not a random hook up. Even then that didn't really serve to make him feel any better. Yevgeny came first. He had to always come first.  

"Don't beat yourself up so much okay? It's not like you left him at a store or something he was with Fi and he was probably happy to stay later ya know?" Ian murmured softly.  

Mickey sighed. "Still fucked up."  

Ian maneuvered his arms around Mickey's waist placing gentle kisses along his temple.  

"We both did. What do you say we try and buy his affection with some food? I haven't eaten much but your ass all day."  

It worked. Mickey snorted shoving playfully at Ian.  

It turned out Yev was completely unaware that Mickey and Ian were even late, going on to rant about the park and this popsicle ant infestation him and Ethan had discovered. His skin was red instead of tan like a normal person but the kid couldn’t have been happier. Ian gave Mickey an "I told you so" look and he was lucky he got laid again that night at all. 

*** 

 

Mickey was grumpy, a fact completely irrelevant to Ian. He'd been forced out of bed at the crack of dawn—ten am—and forced into a polo he definitely didn't remember buying so that he could look at another house. Ian was ecstatic, buzzing nervously beside him with ample amount of energy. They were holding hands, Mickey begrudgingly—of course—and Ian lovingly, as they stopped in front of his latest guess at their "dream home." 

"I want you to know that I love it and I think you'll love it too. It has everything you wanted and everything we were willing to compromise on. Plus it's perfect so . . . yea."  

Mickey rolled his eyes tugging restlessly at his collar. "It's easy to see how you wow business execs Gallagher. Let's get this shit show started."  

And of course Ian frowned at that, the giant puppy dog eyes melting Mickey where he stood. That man was dangerous.  

"Oh calm down. Come make me fall in love or whatever." 

The real estate lady was nowhere to be found, much to Mickey's pleasure, so Ian let them inside showing off everything. The kitchen was nice. There weren't 800 bedrooms like Mickey expected, but plenty of space downstairs where relatives could sleep far away from Mickey. He liked that. There was the pool, and the Jacuzzi. A pool house he was extremely wary of but thought he could kick Ian and Yev out to if he wanted. The master bedroom somehow found a way to be even bigger than the one at Ian's apartment, but no chandelier thank God. It was a really simple, beautiful home. Still big. Still a little over the top like Ian wanted but . . . maybe not so stifling that Mickey couldn’t stand to be there. Maybe it was something he could get used to.  

"So what do you think?" Ian nearly whimpered as Mickey took a final glance at the living room.  

He sniffed. "'S okay. Don't know if Yev'll like it though."  

"He does." Ian's cheeks burned at Mickeys raised brow. "I might've shown him first. I just—I really think this is it Mick. It feels like home doesn't it?"  

Mickey stayed quiet looking appraisingly around the house one more time.  

"He liked it?"  

But he might as well just said, "let's move in" because that's all Ian seemed to hear.  

He was lifted off the ground by his ginger the gingerly giant and he was suddenly interested in how Ian would respond to a proposal. The man was ridiculous and sappy after all. There was spinning and laughing and Mickey felt the need to go shoot something afterwards in a desperate attempt to get a little masculinity back.  

They went to lunch because billion dollar company owners can show up to work as late as they want, and Ian's smile was blinding.  

"So how much we paying here?" Mickey asked.  

"All taken care of, I'll have the house set and ready to go by the end of the week. Want Yev to have time to get adjusted before school starts and all that right?" He gleamed.  

Mickey snorted. "Yea, but how are we paying? Emphasis on the we. Specifically me."  

Ian looked on in confusion. "I don't understand."  

"How much do I owe on the house Ian."  

Realization hit him and his face seemed to soften.  

"M—Mick you know you don't have to pay anything. I would never ask you to do that."  

"Yea, well I want to. So how much?" 

Ian winced eyes leaving his boyfriend's. "Can we talk about this at home please?"  

"What's wrong with talking about it here? Just tell me what I owe."  

"You don't owe me anything Mickey, please, just let me handle it."  

"Let you handle it and then what? I let you handle anything else you'll be spoon feeding me and wiping my ass. I don't ask for much Ian, and I think I done a pretty good job letting you in, considering, so just let me even out the playing field a little bit. I'm not gonna live completely indebted to you. I won't do it." 

That seemed to hurt Ian. Sometimes money blurred the past, made you forget what you used to know so well. He forgot that letting someone help gave them power over you regardless of if that power was used or not. Mickey knew he was coming from a good place, but he also knew that he couldn't live his life mooching off his ultra-rich boyfriend. It just wasn't the life he wanted to live. And deep down Ian knew that. He had to. 

"It's a little over twelve million Mick now can we please just have a nice lunch and talk about it at home. I really don't wanna fight." 

He sounded tired, the voice of someone who'd fought the same battle a hundred times. So Mickey let him have that one. But when the bill came he snatched it up eyes not daring to meet Ian's. Ian let him have that one.  

*** 

 

It turns out moving is stressful. Mickey was working his nine to five's and then coming home to the chaos of Ian's apartment and his own. Ian wanted to pay someone to do it all, and boy was there some serious symbolism there, while Mickey said fuck that and insisted that no one touch their shit but them. Yevgeny on the other hand was just excited, telling Fiona and co. all about the latest details of their so called moving adventure. He'd grown closer to Ian's family than Mickey could've ever thought possible which surprisingly made things a little easier.  

Still it was hard. They essentially had two places to pack. And with two places to pack came a lot of give and take. Not exactly a Milkovich trait to begin with. So that ongoing battle of "You make more money than me and it makes me uncomfortable" came to head over and over . . . and over again. It was probably the most they'd ever fought in their relationship.  

First it was Yev's bed.  

"Mickey why would we keep the one from your apartment he can barely fit in it anymore!"  

"because I worked my ass off to afford this bed Gallagher that's why!"  

"He can't sleep in it!" 

"I don't give a fuck!" 

Then it was the couch.  

"The fuck you mean you wanna buy a new couch; this couch is fine?!" 

"This one won't fit the atmosphere Mickey. It's tan leather and our floors in the living room are white carpet, we need a black couch or the colors will clash!"  

"The colors will clash?! You fucking rich people and your stupid ass aesthetics. You need to stop watching extreme house makeover and go hunting or some shit."  

"I am comfortable in my masculinity Mickey!!"  

"Grown men don't watch extreme house makeover _IAN_!"  

Oh and the stuffed animal one. That wasn't even about money, just principle. That one was bad.  

"Mickey don’t you think it's time to get rid of the stuffed animal?"  

Mickey had turned in confusion assuming he was talking about one of Yev's toys. When he saw him carelessly holding Bloody Knuckles, the kickass bear his mother had given him his eyes turned to slits.  

"Excuse the fuck out of me?" He hissed.  

Ian sighed. "You're a grown man Mick. The only toys you should be playing with are those of the sex variety." 

"Did you just call Bloody Knuckles a toy? Do you wanna fucking die?!"  

He snatched his bear from Gallagher's cold, soulless hands smoothing out the bumps in his fluffy fur.  

"Sending me death threats isn't gonna hide the fact that you're a twenty four year old man with a teddy bear."  

The rage inside of Mickey had exploded everywhere. A plate very narrowly missed Ian's head and Mickey slept alone in his apartment that night after promptly kicking Ian the fuck out. When Yev asked why Ian was in trouble Mickey simply said: 

"You don't mess with a man's bear son."  

Somehow all of those fights got resolved whether with mumbled apologies, or by knocking each other against the headboard so hard they forgot what they'd been fighting about to begin with. By the time July came around all of Mickey's boxes were sitting mingled with Ian's, and Yev's sat on top. They hadn't killed each other. Hadn't broken up or thrown punches. For Mickey this felt like an immense accomplishment. He kept waiting for their relationship to turn into the ugly things he'd witnessed growing up. Because Southside was nothing if not a breeding ground for toxic relationships. He liked thinking that getting out had changed him a little bit, and liked thinking even more that maybe he was never that bad to begin with.  

"You take your meds?" Mickey asked as Ian crawled into bed for one of the last nights in that particular apartment.  

Ian wrapped himself around Mickey like an octopus, large hands sliding soothingly along Mickey's smoothe stomach.  

"Mhmm. Missed you today." He whispered lips touching at his neck.  

"Needed some help on a case at work. Had to stay late and file all the shit they messed up when I wasn't there." 

"Could always come work for me. I could use an assistant ya know."  

Mickey snorted. "Yea? Then stop firing them all and moving them to different departments for shit all reasons." 

"I don't need anything more valid than doesn't look as good as Mickey bent over my desk.'" 

"You seen my ass? That's an impossible quota to fill." 

Ian smirked looking down where his hips met Mickey's backside.  

"Exactly." He replied huskily.  

"Keep it in your pants Gallagher, no way Yev's out yet."  

Ian sighed but still snuggled closer to Mickey liking the contact.  

"Speaking of Yev I think we should take Yev to Disneyland for vacation this year since he was talking about it at the beginning of the summer. Before we move, get away from all the stress ya know?"  

He did. Moving with Ian into a brand new house, an expensive ridiculous but amazing house, had been the most stressed Mickey had been since Svetlana was pregnant.  

"Give me some time to look at finances and shit, but I should be able to swing it."  

Ian scoffed. "Mickey you know you don't have to—"  

Mickey quickly clamped his hand over Ian's mouth with an audible cupping sound.  

"I am paying for Disneyland Ian. Understand?" 

He then proceeded to force Ian's head up and down doing a mock impression of his voice.  

"Yes Mickey, I totally understand. Good job pumpkin." He grinned letting go. 

Ian huffed. "You're a little shit you know that?" 

Mickey shrugged. "Could be worse."  

"And just how is that?" 

"Could stop letting you fuck me."  

He settled back then in a mock attempt at comfort that really just settled his ass directly onto Ian's dick. What a horrible little menace that man was.  

"Thought Yev was still awake." Ian grunted eyes back under the covers where a gentle rocking was beginning to form.  

"Milkovichs are deep sleepers. Get on me Gallagher." 

"Yes, sir." He gleamed. 

*** 

 

Mickey peered at his bank account a week or so later after the conversation with Ian and found that a smile formed naturally on his face. He'd gone from working pay check to pay check, from accepting extra cash from obnoxious redheads in grocery stores, to working his ass off to have a legitimate amount of money in his account. Working for lawyers helped a lot. A lot of the guys he worked with either came from money or knew a lot about it and weren't stingy with their tips. He'd managed to spread his money out across a couple of accounts, one for his spending, one for his savings, and one for Yev's college fund which one of his colleagues explained how fucking stupid he was for not having one. The day he looked at his spending account and saw that not only was there money in it but there was enough to take his son to fucking Disney Land he almost lost his shit. Almost.  

It took a little planning. Getting the time off work, plane tickets, and getting it all done before Ian got the chance to fuck up his surprise. But when he had it he had it and he couldn’t have been more excited to tell Yevgeny the news.  

He waited until a Friday. Ian had a business meeting that ran late, but Mickey insisted they go out to dinner to share the news. It had Yev and Ian a little suspicious because Mickey rarely wanted to go out to eat. Still he drove to meet Ian at a fuckin' Red Robins of all places, place was expensive as all shit, and ignored all of Yev's nagging questions the whole way there. Yev, as much as he'd come to terms with how his life had drastically changed in the past two years with Ian, still found restaurants to be an immense treat. He was always happy and thankful when Mickey would take him out to eat, which just made Mickey feel very happy to have him as a son.  

Yev was telling him about this game he had invented for everyone to play that day when Ian showed up in his pristine work clothes and a tired smile on his lips. He had one a navy blue button up with white dots all over it and the sleeves rolled up. Mickey was very happy to see him . . . in that shirt.  

"I'm sorry I'm late, I was just finishing up a presentation for Lip." He sighed kissing and ruffling at Yevgeny's hair.  

Mickey smiled. "It's fine, I got you water and lemon because you are plain vanilla."  

"Shut up. I missed you by the way." Ian smiled softly leaning in to press their lips together.  

Yevgeny gagged. "Always with the PDA you two."  

They both managed to break away with snorts of laughter.  

"Who told you what PDA means?" Ian chuckled.  

"Aunt Fiona did." He beamed proudly. "She told Debbie that her and her boyfriend should stop showing PDA all over the house and I agreed so she told me I was her favorite, not that that's surprising."  

Oh Yev was just the best in the world.  

Ian shook his head. "Well you're certainly our favorite."  

"Duh." The young boy replied.  

They ordered food before allowing Yev to launch into his colorful declarations of what had gone on at "Aunt Fiona's" house that day. Mickey sometimes started to feel bad for leaving him there all the time, but Fiona always seemed eager to have him and Yevgeny never seemed happier than when he was with his friends. Mickey couldn't believe how happy hanging with the Gallaghers made his kid, but he was eternally grateful for it.  

Ian's hand rested on Mickey's thigh, his arm perched behind Mickey's head on the edge of the booth. It didn't even feel inappropriate, which was weird to Mickey. They just liked to touch each other in some way, shape, or form. Ian just happened to be more comfortable with that touch.   

"There's a benefit banquet thing next month. Everyone is very interested to see if I'll bring the mysterious brunette with the magnetic ass."  Ian grinned.  

Mickey rolled his eyes. "Oh well now I have to come."  

"You're right; it would be rude if you didn't. Besides I like to show you off."  

"Oooo can I come?" Yevgeny smiled.  

"Trust me kid nothing is going to be fun about this. It's just a bunch of rich snobs with terrible taste in food."  

Ian snorted. "It's great to know you think so highly of the people I work with."  

"Well you have pretty good taste in food so I guess I'll keep you."  

"Lucky me." He grinned.  

Yev; however, was not amused and began to whine because, "I NEVER GET TO GO ANYWHERE!" It couldn’t have been set up better if it had been scripted by Mickey himself.  

"You never get to go anywhere huh?"  

Yev jutted his chin out defiantly arms crossed like a perfect mixture of a Milkovich and a Gallagher.  

Mickey rolled his eyes. "He gets that from you ya know?"  

Ian was happy that Yev got anything from him even if it was "the chin".  

"Look kid I was gonna save this for after dinner but since you never get to go anywhere."  

He reached into his jacket pocket getting questioning looks from both the men at the table. Yev's eyebrows raised in a very Milkovich like fashion as his father handed him an envelope. The moment that his eyes landed on the tickets and it clicked that he was going to Disneyland was one of the most amazing moments in Mickey's life. Seeing his kid that happy, that absolutely gleeful made all the money, all the hours of overtime completely worth it. He'd never been so happy to give someone something in all his life.  

"Dad are we really going?! Is it real?!"  

The boy was very nearly hysterical. He jumped onto Mickey with a vengeance laughing and crying and squeezing as hard as he could. Ian could tell Mickey was trying really hard not to shed a tear himself. It came as surprise even to him, because they hadn't spoken of it since that night, but he was happy none the less to see his favorite father-son duo so happy. It put his Hawaiian vacation to shame. And he was perfectly okay with that.  

"This okay?" Mickey asked as Yev sat on his side of the booth staring holes into his ticket.  

Ian smiled kissing Mickey happily. "It's perfect. You did so good Mick."  

"Yea?"  

"Definitely." He hummed pressing another kiss into his hair.  

The smile on Mickey's face throughout the rest of dinner was like that of an adorable dog and Yev's devoutly beaming eyes were like that of a puppy. Ian was much happier that Mickey got to pay for the trip, especially one he realized they'd never been on vacation before he and Mickey had started dating. It made him ecstatic just to see the blissful smiles on their faces. It was the best gift of all for him.  

He carried Yevgeny out on his shoulders despite the constant nagging that his son was getting too heavy and they were just so damn happy. Ian hadn't lied when he'd said happiness looked good on Mickey all those years ago. It looked absolutely beautiful on him.  

Mickey grinned wide and proud when Ian swept him up before he could get in the car. Their lips pressed chaste and sweet a couple of time before Ian managed to nibble cheekily at his bottom lip.  

"What was that for?" The brown haired man beamed.  

Ian shrugged. "You're just kinda beautiful to me is all."  

"Ah fuck off." Mickey blushed. 

But he didn't and Mickey was glad.  

*** 

 

"Baby come onnnn." Ian purred.  

"Gallagher fuck all the way off!"  

Yevgeny sat on the couch giggling as he watched his dad flail away from his boyfriend.  

They were in their hotel room, arming for a day at Disneyland, and someone was not being cooperative. Ian had a can of sunscreen and was chasing his pasty ass boyfriend around the room.  

"Mickey if you don't wear sunscreen you'll burn faster than sand in the fucking desert. I like your skin. You're beautiful to me now…now just get your ass over here!"  

He finally caught him spraying thick heavy lines along Mickey's pale arms. They were all so pale, the poor bastards, they probably contributed to half of Banana Boat's earnings.  

It was a beautiful day. Yevgeny couldn't have been happier, and his euphoric mood seeped into his father and Ian like osmosis. They did everything that they could. Ride after ride and treat after treat. Yevgeny took pictures with every Disney creature in the park and smiled his ass off while doing it. They had a truly amazing time. From Buzz light-year to Finding Nemo, every piece of the park seemed to be perfectly constructed for Yevgeny's joy. And the star wars section? It felt like they were there for days. Yevgeny truly had the time of his life and that alone made it all worth it. 

"Man, he's really out of it, Mick." Ian grinned watching the boy so deeply asleep that he hadn't even gotten into his pajamas.  

He was dark with sun and peacefully sleeping sprawled out on the bed like it was the best day ever. And it was.  

"Did I do good?" Mickey murmured as Ian crawled into bed with him that night.  

Ian nodded cuddling deeper into his arms.  

"You did amazing."  

*** 

 

Life at the Milkovich-Gallagher household is a good one. They—Ian—throw a hug house warming party with all the Gallaghers and co-workers galore. And Ian can't stop smiling to save his life. In this beautiful home with his boyfriend and his boyfriend's son, the world feels like a better place. It's everything he ever could've hoped for and more. And then it gets better.  

"You look absolutely sinful." Ian groaned grabbing Mickey's hips from behind.  

Mickey stood at the mirror fixing his tie and snorted at the redhead.  

"It's a fucking suit, man."  

"It's not just a fucking suit. This is Givenchy, Mick. Look at you. In the navy blue? With the slim fit trouser? Your ass is absolutely ridiculous. God you're beautiful."  

Mickey rolled his eyes but there was a sparkle there. "Introducin' me to these million dollar motherfuckers. I gotta look like I'm worth something."  

"You're worth the world, dammit." Ian replied demandingly.  

They really were a sight for sore eyes. Mickey in the navy blue and Ian in the black with the weird ass printed shirt. Yevgeny was with the Gallaghers for a sleepover and Ian was just dragging Mickey to this banquet, he really had no interest in going to. But, if the food sucked he was promised McDonalds and that's all that really mattered.  

They arrived at this really beautiful building with white millionaires galore and fake laughter rupturing into the air. Mickey felt like he was itching. But he knew it was important to Ian to make a good impression. He and Lip were the youngest at those benefits by decades and the respect was not plentiful by a long shot. So, he behaved. As much as a Milkovich can.  

"Well Mickey, aren't you dashing this evening?" Lip grinned, glass of champagne in his hand.  

Mickey downed his glass quickly.  

"Hold this for me, real quick?"  

Lip took it only for Mickey to burp in his face, flip him off, and then take his full glass of champagne before walking off to find his boyfriend. 

Ian was talking to some couple that strongly resembled the Clintons and let's just say Bill wasn't eyeing Hilary nearly as hard as he was Ian.  

"Mick, there you are! This is Mr. and Mrs. Miller. This is Mickey Milkovich." Ian smiled tugging Mickey closer.  

Mrs. Miller grinned widely. "Hello dear, what do you do?"  

Jesus Margret, if you're gonna go straight in at least get it wet first.  

"I work at a firm, doing the boring work so lawyers don't have to."  

" _Oh._ " 

Mickey chuckled under his breath causing Ian to frown on his boyfriend's behalf.  

"He's modest. No one gets a single thing done at that place without my Mickey. He's practically a machine."  

"And you two are….?"  

Ian's eyebrows raised. "Gay. Together. We share a room, and a bed, and food if we're feeling particularly sinful."  

"I wasn't implying…"  

"Of course you weren't, Carol. If you'll excuse us."  

Mickey couldn't help but laugh the second they were out of hearing range. Ian glared at him, but eventually had to join in on the giggles. It was ridiculous. The things people do for their co-workers.  

"I'm sorry. These people suck and they hate me and they're gonna look at you like you're scum. But you're not scum. You're pretty and I love you and I'm very happy to be here with you. So, can we get drunk and make fun of people under our breath so I can take you home and have sloppy sex with you where we fall asleep in a heap of body?" He huffed.  

Mickey smiled reaching to grab playfully at Ian's ass in front of everybody; because he was scum and he really didn't give a fuck. 

"They can say whatever the fuck they want; it ain't them I'm goin home with. Now show me to the mini burgers I'm fucking starving."  

They get full on burgers and champagne and stand in a corner giggling all night. When he introduces Mickey to the actual people he works with they're not only supportive, but encouraging. They find Mickey funny and honest and charismatic. Ian smiles because he knows he is all of those things. They just walk around in a bubble where the bullshit can't get to them. It's the best banquet Ian's ever been to.  

"You still want food tonight?" Ian asked as they got ready to leave.  

Mickey groaned. "Don't ever talk to me about food again. Jesus Christ, I'm full."  

He snickered. "How many of those burgers did you eat Mick?" 

"You don’t count your food asshole. All I know is he was walking around with the tray and I took the tray, but then soon enough the tray was empty so I got another tray. Now my stomach is choking me."  

"Yea, let's get you home before you burst." Ian smirked throwing an arm over his grumpy boyfriend's shoulder.  

*** 

 

Summer was nearing its end and everyone seemed to be aware of it. Ian was hosting weekly pool parties at their house against his boyfriend's will and Mickey was working harder than ever to be prepared for the school year. This meant long hours at the firm to pull in whatever cash that he could. There was no joint account for them. Mickey didn't ask how much Ian made and Ian didn't ask him. What Ian didn't know was that besides Mickey's daily account and Yevgeny's college fund, there was another secret account that he'd been stashing away cash into since he'd gotten the law firm job. But when you're dealing with Gallaghers secrets never tend to stay secrets for long.  

All the kids were in the pool and all the adults were drinking alcohol, except for Ian. When Mickey's beer was empty he went to get him and everyone else another, and Lip decided to tag along.  

"I got some information for you." Lip said as Ian dug around in the fridge.  

"Is that so?"  

"Yep. Valuable stuff." 

"Please enlighten me, Phillip." Ian sighed.  

"Your boy out there is playing you." 

"Oh my go—" 

"I'm serious! I had one of my buddies look into it. Mickey has a secret account that he's been siphoning money into since I got him that job."  

Ian rolled his eyes. "So? That's his fucking money, Lip; you can't go digging into my boyfriend because you have nothing better to do."  

"How can you be so stupid? It's obvious he's using this thing you two got as a scapegoat and as soon as it's over he's gonna escape with the kid and the cash."  

"If that was the case don't you think he might actually ask for me money? Or I don't know actually marry me so that he in any way had some tie to any of my shit? You're an absolute jackass and you don't know him. Mickey doesn't want anything from me, and if he's got a 'secret' account than that's his business and not yours."  

And apparently only one bit of that information got to him.  

"Please don't tell me you're thinking about marrying this guy."  

"Jesus!" 

Ian couldn't believe his brother. He trusted Mickey. He knew him better than anyone, because he actually tried. He took the time to get to know him and now there was no one he'd rather be with. It was Mickey! He'd never given him a reason to do anything but trust him. 

So, of course that Monday when he went to work there was a file waiting on his desk. A file that he stupidly opened that contained shit loads of information about his boyfriend that he had absolutely no right to read. Lip and his lawyer buddies were absolutely lethal. And Ian, because he was an idiot and a piece of shit, read it anyway.  

A lot of it was scary. Mickey had told him some stuff. About Terry. About his past. But most of it was new. There were police reports of how they'd found him. Bruised and bloody and mangled. How the hell Lip got his hands on it, Ian had no idea. There was a sister that he'd mentioned very briefly. Mandy. Juvie records. All of it probably should've scared him. It didn't. He found himself respecting Mickey even more. He wanted to go home and hold him. Not every Southside story is the same, and Mickey definitely had it harder than Ian. 

"Sam can you come in here please?" Ian asked over his intercom.  

His new assistant came in with a polite, straight walk. She was the best he'd had so far, but his fantasies of Mickey coming to him with his messages for the day—and a blow job—would never ebb. 

"I need you to find a person for me. You think you could do that?"  

"Sure, Sir. Who?"  

"Mandy. Mandy Milkovich."  

*** 

 

"Go wash up for dinner." Mickey ordered kicking his son playfully in the butt.  

Yevgeny ran off to wash his hands while Mickey pulled take out boxes from the bags in front of him. Summer was nearly over, and he didn’t have many days just like that with his son left. So he wasn't gonna waste it trying to cook some meal no body was gonna eat anyway. Besides, Ian had Yevgeny on so many kid gummies and health smoothies he was practically shitting green. One meal wouldn't hurt.  

He heard the alarm system beep to let him know Ian was home and didn't even have to try to smile.  

"Mickey?!"  

"In the kitchen!"  

He got the rest of the containers out of the bag and went to get plates when he heard a voice from another life time, another era, another world.  

"What's for dinner?" She said.  

He turned to see his little sister with a bag slung over her shoulder and a classic Milkovich smirk on her lips.  

"Hey, Mick."  

He heard the crash of glass on the floor before it registered that he'd dropped the plates.  

Ian winced. Things were not off to a good start. Mickey's face turned from shock to rage and that rage was quickly turned on Ian. Fuckin' Gallagher.  

"You. Upstairs. Now." He hissed stomping through the glass and out of the room.  

Ian sighed. "Just… just make yourself at home."  

He headed after Mickey leaving Mandy to take another look at the kitchen that was the size of her entire apartment.  

Meanwhile upstairs Mickey was on the verge of giving literal meaning to the term chew out.  

"Are you out of your fucking mind?!" He yelled. "My sister? You went and found my fucking sister?!" 

"Mick I just… I wanted to know about your old life. I wasn't even gonna bring her here; I just wanted to meet her, but her boyfriend's an abusive asshole all holed up in her apartment and she had no place to go."  

"I don't care, Gallagher! You don't just get to check in on me. That's not how a normal relationship works. That's my old life, I don't want any part of that and you knew it!"  

"T—Technically Lip checked in on you."  

"What?"  

"He had one of his private investigator buddies pull your file." Ian muttered ashamed.  

"WHAT?!!!!"  

Downstairs Yevgeny was back from washing his hands and there was a lady standing in the middle of his kitchen that didn't look like either of his fathers.  

"Who are you?"  

Mandy turned to see the small boy who was no longer the baby she'd once known.  

Her eyes widened. "Technically? I'm your aunt." 

"My aunt? You're my dad's sister?"  

"Yep. Haven't seen you since you fit in the palm of my hand." She smiled.  

"Were you friends with my mom?"  

She shrugged. "No one was really friends with your mom. She was kind of a bitch."  

He nodded. "Okay. Will you get my food please? I'm hungry."  

Mandy couldn't help but grin. Mickey was doing quite the opposite.  

"You checked in on me. What the fuck did you think you were gonna find?" He huffed grabbing for his cigarettes.  

Ian groaned. "I didn't check in on you okay, Lip did. It's not my fault you left a secret account behind for him to find."  

"You—You know about that?"  

He nodded.  

"Jesus do you guys have a hidden camera for every time I take a shit too?!"  

"Mickey, calm down. Please."  

"Don't fuckin' tell me to calm down." He huffed lighting up a cigarette.  

Ian quietly took a seat beside Mickey keeping his eyes on his hands.  

"Lip was just trying to dig for a reason that I shouldn't be with you. He thought that maybe you had that secret account to steal money from me, that you were using me." He mumbled.  

Mickey peered over at him. "Yea? What do you think?" 

Ian met his eye. "I think Lip's a fucking idiot . . . But, it still hurts that you'd keep something like this from me." 

"I don't know your bank accounts." He pointed out.  

"No, but you know that I have one for every day funds, one for savings, one that runs through the company, and another for international business. I told you cause I wanted you to know me. That file showed that you don't feel the same way."  

Mickey rolled his eyes. "I remember you keeping some pretty important shit from me too."  

He didn't have to hear Ian's intake of breath to know that that was a low blow.  

"Why'd you hide an account from me? Why don't you trust me?"  

Mickey groaned. "I do trust you." 

"No you don't. Obviously."  

"Look I do trust your narrow ass alright, it's me I don’t trust!"  

Ian raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"  

"I mean that I'm not at all sure that I'm not gonna somehow fuck this completely up. And I have to think long term, because I have a son. So yea, I put some of each check in an account that I don't touch just in case. Just in case you decide a guy and his kid is too much. Just in case this doesn't work out."  

Ian stared at him incredulously mouth gaped open before he snapped and slapped Mickey upside the head.  

"Ouch! Dammit, Gallagher!"  

"Stop acting like we're not serious, you asshole! I'm not going anywhere. Nothing you can do could make me stay away from you. I mean I... I love you! Give yourself and me some fucking credit for once. The self-sabotage routine is getting old Mickey."  

Mickey sighed. "Things change, Ian. People change…. They leave."  

"Look at me." He demanded catching Mickey's chin so he couldn't look away. "I'm. Not. Going. Anywhere. You can't make me. I'm more stubborn than even you are." 

 "Yea well don't think your romantic bullshit is gonna erase the fact that you checked in on me, and you brought my sister here. Asshole." Mickey snapped pulling away from Ian.  

Ian groaned. It was gonna be a long night.  

When Ian got downstairs Mickey was sitting away from his usual seat. His eyes were on his good and completely ignoring everyone at the table. Yevgeny was glancing between his father and his new found aunt. Things were tense all the way around. Ian couldn't help but wonder if he'd made a bad decision bringing Mandy home.  

Dinner passed silently except for the scrapings of forks. Yevgeny didn't like it one bit, used to the boisterous chatter Ian and Mickey brought to the table. Things were weird.  

Yevgeny squirmed in his seat. "Can I go play?"  

Ian smiled sadly. "Sure bud."  

Once Yev was out of the room Mickey grabbed the plates, loudly clanging them together as he headed for the sink. He ignored the dishwasher for the mundaneness of the sink. Mandy peered over at Ian who looked distressed and rolled her eyes. Men. She sent him out of the room grabbing the rest of the dishes and walking towards Mickey.  

"Quite the place you got here, bro. Been stealing much lately?" She snorted jokingly lifting herself up on the counter.  

Mickey snarled. "I haven't taken shit from anybody. I make my own way alright?"  

"I see that stick up your ass hasn't gone anywhere."  

Mickey dropped the plate that was in his hand causing another sharp scraping sound as suds flew.  

"What the fuck are you doing here Mandy?"  

She huffed. "Your boyfriend found me, remember? Jesus, fuck me for thinking my big brother might actually give a damn. Oh wait, I forgot, you abandoned me and ran off to shack up with some millionaire."  

"Oh fuck off with your self-pitying bullshit. I got out because dad was gonna kill me. You could've done the same. Excuse me for not exactly wanting to go back to that hell hole and god forgive find something good for me on top of that. You're right, Mands, I'm real dick."  

"But what about me?"  

He looked down at her and noticed her eyes weren't hostile, but sad. Defeated. Neglected.  

And suddenly he remembered being little. He remembered protecting Mandy at all costs. He remembered how Terry used to look at her sometimes, how she'd sleep in his room just so he might not come for her. And he felt . . . bad. 

She smiled sadly. "You could've taken me with you. You should have."  

He wiped a hand tiredly over his face. "Yea I should've taken you with me. I'm sorry."  

Her eyes widened. "The fuck you sayin' sorry for?"  

"His fault." He mumbled going back to the dishes. "Got me doing all sorts of dumb, sentimental shit."  

"Like moving into a mansion with a pool huh?"  

"I—It's not a mansion." He defended weakly. "And I'm not with him for that. I got a job. A pretty good one too; I don't just take from him."  

"Okay...I don't see a ring, you guys engaged or something?"  

Mickey sighed. "No."  

"But you wanna be?"  

"More like he wants to be and I won't let him." 

She rolled her eyes. "You always were the self-sabotaging type." 

"Just don't wanna get myself into a spot where he can destroy me . . . he'll I'm already there. I gotta keep something for myself just in case." 

They paused for a minute, Mickey filling the silence with the sound of dish washing.  

"He good with Yev?"  

Mickey smiled uncontrollably. "Better than me, sometimes."  

"He make you happy?" 

"'Course. Happier than I've ever been."  

"Then what the fuck do you have to lose?"  

He turned to look at her and his eyes were scared.  

"Everything."  

They don't talk after that and they sat in a comfortable silence as Mickey finished the dishes. He no longer felt on edge and spent the rest of the time trying to figure out why he'd left her behind at all.  

Ian appeared looking sheepish and sweet with blankets in his arms. Mandy was stuck trying to figure out whether this guy was sexy as hell or an adorable puppy. He was definitely hard to place.  

"Yevy's asleep. I uh made up the guest bed room and got some extra blankets just in case. So . . . yea. I'll just leave these here. And uh... good night."  

She watched the redhead supermodel boyfriend walk away with his tail between his legs and shot her arm out whacking Mickey on the shoulder.  

"Ow, the fuck Mandy?!" He hissed.  

"Stop being a dick to your boyfriend. Go make up, or whatever it is you gays do."  

"I'm still pissed at him. He checked up on me. Read my whole case file. He knows shit he wasn't supposed to know. So drop it Mandy. I mean it."  

Against her own wishes she did drop it. Eventually Mickey lead her out of the kitchen and throughout the rest of the house where the ridiculousness of the house only got stronger. Their house had always been shit but this place made it look like a stain of shit. Mickey lead her to her bedroom which of course had its own bathroom. He'd be lucky if she ever left again.  

"So uh. I got to go to work around eight, but Yev and Ian will be here. I'm sure he'll be a hell of a lot more hospitable than I could ever be. He's got my number too. I'll see you tomorrow alright?"  

"Yea, alright." 

 He nodded heading for the door before take a giant pause.  

"And don't think I didn't notice those fuckin' bruises on your arms. I'll figure out who it is. Haven't lost my Southside yet." He snapped before leaving. 

Mandy smiled to herself.  

That was her big brother.  

* * * 

 

She woke up to the sounds of some top 40 hit blaring through expensive ass speakers that made the floor throb. She moved slowly down the huge staircase and towards the kitchen where Ian and Yevgeny were in matching boxers and white beaters. Ian was cooking and Yev was helping as they danced and sang. It was a hot mess. And she loved every second of it.  

"Good morning." Mandy murmured.  

Ian smiled. "Hey. Yev likes chocolate chip pancakes. That okay with you?"  

"Sure."  

They all sat together at the table, Yev chewing happily and asking Ian all these questions. There was no tension between them. It wasn't like a boy talking to his dad's boyfriend at all. It was more like a boy talking to his dad.  

"We're gonna go get Yev some school clothes today. Wanna come?"  

"Sure, why not."  

"We can get you some stuff too. I don't know what you weren't able to grab yesterday." 

"O—Okay."  

Mandy wasn't used to offers like that, wasn't used to a man wanting her to be comfortable. Men didn't treat her like that. Ever.  

Yev got dressed and climbed onto Ian's back just because he could as they headed out. She was shocked by the car in the garage even though he'd driven her around in it the day before. Mickey had scored big time.  

"What is it you do again?" Mandy asked.  

Ian smirked about to answer when Yev burst out into a delightful monologue.  

"Ian is the CEO along with Uncle Lip of the first fortune 500 Company that established social media as a service creating a platform for others like it." He beamed with pride.  

Ian's smirked turned to the happiest smile one could muster and just like that sexy turned back to puppy.  

"Thanks buddy. What he said."  

"Do CEOs get days off?"  

He smiled. "This one does."  

"So, if you and Mickey were to get married you could probably quit and still live like this huh?" 

Ian tensed. "Yea. But Mick doesn't want that."  

"Dad's afraid of commitment." Yevgeny chimed in from the backseat.  

Ian snorted. "We gotta keep you away from Debbie." 

"He's right though. Us Milkovichs aren't used to anyone give a fuck. Sticking around isn't our forte." 

"Doesn't mean someone can't."  

He had her there.  

They ended up at a Target where Ian went into full dad and mom mode picking out clothes that went well together, color coordination, patterns, the whole nine yards. The weird part was that Yev loved every second of it.  

"We're getting khakis whether your dad likes it or not. Never underestimate the power of the khaki and the polo." 

"Okay can I try them on?" 

"Sure can. Let's go get you a changing room." 

It was so weird for Mandy. To see someone take care of not just a Milkovich but a spawn of a Milkovich. It was unheard of. No one in the Southside was trying to take care of someone else's baby, yet there Ian was. Not only was he doing it, but he was doing a hell of a job. And he liked it! As far as the rest of the world was concerned he was the perfect man. Why hadn't her brother put a ring on it?! But she knew why. She was his sister; she knew better than anyone.  

"What's your angle anyway?" 

Ian was in the middle of getting Mickey some jeans that weren't three times his size when she asked. (Actually he bought them a size too small so that ass got the spotlight it deserved.) 

He sighed. "What makes you think I have an angle?" 

"No one just picks a guy and his kid up off the street and suddenly starts paying for them to live out of the kindness of their heart. You gotta want something."  

Ian huffed in impatience and irritation. "God you two are so cynical. I get it. I come from the Southside too, I know opportunities are few and far between and everyone sucks and people only care about themselves, that's what growing up there tells us. But some people don't, okay? I do want something. I want Mickey to be happy. I want Yevgeny to get a good education and have friends that he feels comfortable around. I want Mickey not to have to go to bed hungry just so Yevy can eat. I want him to feel healthy and loved and taken care of. That is all I want, Mandy. There's no ulterior motive; I'm just in love with him." 

The desperation in which he said it made Mandy think he'd been trying to get that same spiel through Mickey's thick ass skull. And the weird part was… she actually believed him.  

Mandy squinted. "Hmm…My bullshit detector isn't going off."  

"Sorry to disappoint."  

"I'm not sure that you have."  

The rest of the day passes in a blur. Ian wasn't just sexy and adorable, he was also sweet as fucking candy. He was funny and actually had an eye for fashion. He was the best friend she'd never had.  

When Mickey got home he was tired and still working the numbness out of his ass from sitting too long. He thought maybe Mandy might like to go out for dinner or for some clothes or something. Ian had texted him to let him know everybody was okay and to have a good day at work, but he hadn't responded leading him to be a little ambushed when he got home. 

"Dad!" Yev squealed nearly tackling him to the ground with a hug. 

"Hey buddy." He smiled hitching up on his back. "Where are the other dumbasses?" 

"In the living room."  

Mandy was sprawled out on the couch with her face in his boyfriend's lap. They were watching some chick flick Mickey and Ian never would've watched and the giggles they were sharing instantly grated on Mickey's nerves.  

"Hey." Mandy grinned from the couch.  

Ian looked over at him with wide, hopeful eyes. They'd never fought this long.  

"You wanna go out; get some shit to hold you over while you’re here? I'm hungry."  

"Actually my new best friend already took care of that." She beamed.  

Mickey looked over at Ian who was smiling sheepishly at him.  

"You wanna go for a swim?" He asked instead, directing his attention to Yevgeny. 

"Yea!" 

"Great, let's go get changed." 

Ian sunk into his seat as the two disappeared upstairs.  

"He hates me." He sighed.  

Mandy rolled her eyes. "He loves you. You scare the shit out of him. Hell you scare the shit out of me." 

"You've been here a day. How do you know?"  

"He's my brother. And he hasn't changed a bit. Mickey didn't think he'd live to be thirty. Now here you are, the world's perfect specimen saying you wanna love him and shit. That could take anyone time to get used to." 

"It's been two and a half years."  

She nodded. "Guess it all depends on how long you're willing to stick with him." 

 "Forever."  

And that was it.  

Mickey and Yev went swimming for a while and it almost felt like old times. Just the two of them. The Milkovich men fending for themselves. When things were . . . easier.  

The sun sunk low in the sky and Yev clung to his father with a smile so big on his face. He was happy. Mickey was at least capable of that.  

"Yev? Dinner is almost ready. Why don't you go dry off?" Ian suggested appearing at the sliding glass door.  

"Okay!" 

Yev kissed his dad's cheek before swimming to the ladder to get out. With Yev gone, Ian hesitated not sure whether to approach Mickey or not. He wasn't sure when they'd be alone again though, so he just said fuck it.  

"Mick."  

He met him at the edge rolling up the legs of his jeans so he could slip his feet into the pool.  

"What?"  

"H—How was your day?"  

He snorted. "Why don't you ask Lip; I'm sure he's got a buddy who can tell him."  

"I deserved that . . . You gonna stay mad at me forever?"  

"I'm thinking about it."  

Ian frowned. "Well, I don't like it. I'm sorry for betraying you like that. I shouldn't have looked when Lip left them on my desk. You deserve better than that."  

"You're right. I do."  

"I'm not sorry for wanting to know more about you. Or for wanting us to be serious. Or for wanting more. I am serious about you, about us. I want us to be serious. Because you're really great. I'm always gonna want more."  

"The fuck are you talking about?"  

"You know what I'm talking about. You're not ready, that's fine I won't push you on it. But I am ready and I'll always be ready. Whenever you want. I'll wait."  

Mickey peered up at him from the water and wondered how he'd ended up in this conversation or this life with this obnoxiously persistent man who just wanted to love him, and maybe do it in front of a couple hundred people with a cake and chicken (he hated fish). And he felt bad. Because it didn't really sound like such a terrible time. And yet still there was something holding him back, something that wouldn't allow him to take that step forward. He wasn't ready.  

"Whenever I want?"  

Ian nodded kicking his legs out until he could pull Mickey closer to him.  

"Whenever."  

"What if I never do?" He asked eyes worried and scared.  

"You will. You love me. So, I'll wait."  

Mickey got out of the pool and let Ian pull his face up so he could kiss him. He missed him. Fighting was never fun for either of them.  

"I made your favorite just in case this talk went differently." Ian hummed fingers skipping up the wet skin of Mickey's hips.  

"Lasagna with that garlic bread?" He asked eyes hopeful and childlike.  

Ian grinned. "Three different cheeses, Mick."  

"Jesus you're trying to get lucky tonight. C'mon Gallagher."  

Mandy was sure that Mickey and Ian fighting would be far worse than them being lovey dovey. And she was dead ass wrong. Those two were absolutely disgusting. Mickey went to go get dressed and the two disappeared for almost twenty minutes before showing up with shit eating grins panting like the dogs they were. There was ass grabbing and mysterious whispers and this was before they even sat down to eat.  

"How long are you staying here?" Mickey asked her.  

Mandy shrugged. "Things'll cool down in a few days, and I'll be out of your hair."  

"That happen a lot? You needing to scram while things cool down at your own fucking house?"  

She didn't meet his eye, and Mickey wondered what happened when a girl like Mandy moved out on her own. What kind of guys had taken advantage of her, and that piece of her that had never been loved? Terry had fucked Mickey up bad, but maybe Mandy was worse off than he was. Cause she was always willing to give herself completely to the people who didn't deserve it. Eventually she'd have nothing else to give.  

"I'll take you back to your place. If I don't like the look of it you come back here." 

"I don't need a protector Mickey."  

"No, but maybe some family who gives a shit might do you some good."  

Ian looked on as the two siblings stared defiantly at each other and he wondered, not for the first time at all, what their home life must've been like. He knew now more than ever, but a case file doesn't begin to scratch the surface of the Milkovich house of horrors. 

After dinner was done Yev ran off to watch tv with Mandy leaving the dishes to Mickey and Ian. Instead of the first night Mandy had arrived though, they washed the dishes together; Ian washing and Mickey drying.  

"She can stay here you know. As long as she wants. I think she's amazing, and I could use someone to hang out with when you're not here." Ian offered.  

Mickey snorted. "You know for a multi-billion dollar company owner you sure work like…not a lot."  

"Isn't that what white male business owners do? Leave everything to the little people?"  

They laughed together passing dishes from soap suds to warm water.  

"I used to do almost everything. I took the company so seriously. It was the first time I felt like I'd really accomplished something, like I mattered. So, I put everything I had into it and I worked super long hours and went to every single meeting while Lip stayed in his office or fucked his women. Hell I learned every single employee's name. And we have over a thousand in our Chicago building alone."  

Mickey squinted. "When did all that start to change?"  

"Right around the time I met you."  

"Ian…" His face fell.  

"It's not a bad thing. I worked so hard and so long and I had nothing to show for it. What's the point of having money or a big house and no one to share it with? I always knew I'd have a family: a couple of kids, a husband." He smiled over at Mickey. "And then you just showed up. In your terrible baggy jeans and Yev with his crazy arm. I didn't even go to that store regularly ya know? I shopped at Whole Foods, but I was on my way to Fiona's and she asked me to pick something up."  

"Of course you shopped Whole Foods! Why wouldn't you?"  

"Fuck off." Ian chuckled checking him with his hip. "Things just… they were easy with you, natural. And if being with you and Yevgeny means I can't work twenty-three hours a day so be it. This is where I wanna be."  

Mickey looked at him in the way he did when Ian thought he was really confused by him and everything that he was. But he smiled, like he always did and leaned his chin on Ian's shoulder for a spare second and that made Ian very happy.  

When the dishes were done and put away and Ian was still drying his hands Mickey's looked turned from appreciating to predatory in a matter of moments. It'd been over twenty-four hours since he'd had Gallagher inside of him after all, and that was just way too long for Mickey's tastes.  

"So uh… I'm pretty tired. Think I'm gonna turn in early."  

Ian frowned, oblivious. "But we were all gonna watch a movie together. Mandy and I got Sixteen Candles."  

"Sixteen what—look never mind . . . I'm gonna _turn in early._ You catch my drift?"  

"I guess. I mean you do over-work yourself at the firm anyway."  

"Jesus—Ian I'm gonna go upstairs and get naked so that your penis can go in my ass. You are so fuckin' insensible it's not even funny." 

"Oh…. _Oh!_ Yes please. Let's go." Ian insisted tossing his towel.  

They moved quickly out of the kitchen and towards the stairs shouting to Mandy and Yevgeny about changing clothes. Mandy noted that they were both already in comfortable clothing for the night and rolled her eyes at the two annoying men. Gays.  

Upstairs Mickey wrestled Ian down to their bed, hell bent on doing some actual damage. He nipped at the tendons of his neck sucking deep, dark marks into the skin. Ian keened at the contact, desperate to have Mickey close to him again. Fighting was dumb. Why did they ever fight?  

"Jesus." He huffed as Mickey ground his hips roughly down. 

Mickey hummed. "Always gotta be so difficult. I don't wanna fight with you asshole." 

Ian lifted his hips to meet Mickey's whining desperately at the friction. 

"Never want to fight again. Please Mick."  

"Want you to wreck me. Wanna feel it deep inside."  

Ian growled at that, knocking them over so he could pull at Mickey's clothes and straddle him. On top of all the weird, intricate, and complicated s Ian had pulled out of him he'd also made sex a whole different experience. He was more than good at it, he was good at _him_. He turned Mickey inside out when they fucked. There were things he'd never felt before being with Ian and he wasn't sure if that was a testament to Ian's sexual prowess or just Ian in general. Either way he made him weep on a regular basis and Mickey Milkovich didn't just weep for the hell of it.  

Ian prepped him with deep, curling strokes that were tantalizing within themselves, but Mickey wanted more.  

"C'mon! I'm good, get on me."  

Ian chuckled slipping between his lover's legs.  

"So pushy." He hummed.  

He entered him with a flourish leaving no time for any adjustments as his hips set a brutal pace. Mickey gasped out feeling the stretch and pull of his boyfriend's overwhelming girth. He didn't think he would ever get used to the feeling.  

"Can't believe how good you feel." Ian moaned breath hot against Mickey's skin.  

Mickey clenched purposely tightening his legs around Ian's back.  

"Fuck me. Please—just do it."  

They moved together arms tight around one another as Ian moved inside him. The headboard knocked clumsily into the wall, Ian speeding up until it was a steady clap and all the air was being punched out of Mickey's lungs. His fingers clenched in the sheets, one hand in their Egyptian cottons and another dragging up Ian's back in pleasure. There was one moment where Mickey was sure he would die in that bed, and that moment came right around the moment Ian found his prostate.  

"Oh—Oh my god. Fuck."  

He grabbed desperately at Ian's hips trying to keep the pressure right on that spot despite the fact that Ian was doing just that. His cock was hard and leaking roughly all over his stomach as it bobbed with every thrust. And although Mickey was always one to be quiet, having Yev had made sure of that, he was only a man and whatever Gallagher was doing with his hips wasn't just something one could be quiet through.  

"UH! Right there. Ssss-shit right there!"  

Ian leveraged his hips speeding up even faster till his thrusts were quick staccato beats against Mickey's prostate. And suddenly not only couldn't he breathe, but he couldn't move save for the jerk of his cock as he came completely untouched.  

And Ian, who too was only a man couldn't simply stare at the love of his life's beautiful pale chest marked in his own cum and simply not orgasm too. Ian came groaning out as they collapsed in a sticky, sweaty clump.  

"Oh you son of a bitch." Mickey croaked, voice cracking.  

Ian chuckled into Mickey's neck and they promptly fell asleep just like that.  

*** 

 

Mandy was on edge as Mickey drove back to the familiar trash of south side. She's gotten her own apartment, sure, but a waitress' salary could only afford so much. Her little vacation to the North Side was over and she was back to where she belonged to face her problems  

They pulled up to her apartment building and he helped her carry her shit upstairs where said problem was still taking up space on her couch.  

"Where the hell you been?" Piece of shit boyfriend #53 grumbled.  

"None of your goddamn business!" She snapped before turning to Mickey with a shy smile. "I—I'm good here Mick. You can head out." 

He stared at her incredulously wondering how he'd gone and done all this changing and yet Mandy was still stuck in her destructiveness. She looked more like their mother than ever, and for a second it hurt to look at her.  

"Okay… You call me if you need somethin'. I mean it Mandy. Call me."  

She nodded softly.  

Mickey took one long glance at his sister and the piece of trash behind her. The regret was instant before he even left. He'd left her so many times before, and here he was about to do it all over again.  

After he left Mandy closed the door slowly behind him, missing her brother the second he was out of sight. She felt sick being back home, back in that life, feeling stuck. Turning around she was faced with her boyfriend who had somehow managed to get his lazy ass off of the couch. He stood towering over her with a mean look on his face. It was the kind of face most of the men in her life had given her at one point or another. Her father. All the guys she'd ever been with. She didn't even flinch when he hit her that time, so used to the unstoppable forces in her life that eventually took over. There was never a place to go. She just let him wale until he was tired and let her go. It was better not to fight it.  

And then the weight on her chest was gone and there was a ringing in her ears. It took a minute to realize that the ringing was her screaming. Mickey was back and hitting her boyfriend like he'd never left the Southside. It was like stepping back in the past, watching him solve things with his fists. She liked it way too much.  

"Mick—Mickey get off him!"  

But he didn't and the two continued to fight until someone won.  

Ian was at home cooking with the help of Fiona for their annual Gallagher dinner. The kids were there running around and playing and all the adults were there. He'd just taken the chicken out of the oven when the front door opened and two bloody and bruised Milkovichs came in with their arms around each other like they'd just come from the peace core.  

"Mickey? Jesus what happened to you?!"  

Ian tugged Mickey down into a chair who continued to laugh with Mandy. Mickey's knuckled were red with blood and raw, rubbed skin. His jaw looked swollen, Mandy was sporting a black eye with bruises to match, and they both didn't look at all like they cared.  

"Kicked that dude's ass is what I did." He smiled goofily.  

Mandy giggled as Ian deadpanned at the two of them.  

"Who's ass? Why are we kicking any asses?!" Ian asked voice edging near hysterics. 

"Touched Mandy. Milkovichs look after their own. All that height didn't do him any good when I was kicking his nuts in."  

Ian huffed but couldn't blame him if that was truly what'd happened.  

"We gotta get you two cleaned up. Fi, go ahead and get everyone settled for me?" 

She nodded looking on with concerned eyes.  

The good news was Ian had had his fair share of cleaning up bloody messes. Mandy was mostly bruises and insisted on skipping out on his care, but Mickey wasn't going anywhere.  

"Goddammit Mickey you have work in the morning." Ian sighed checking his ribs for anything that might be broken. "Your face. Look at what he did to this face."  

"Iannn." Mickey whined. "I'm fine."  

"You're not fine. You're—you're mangled. And if you weren't already a bloody mess I'd kick your ass myself."  

He wiped away the blood, bandaged the cuts, and poked at the bruises.  

"Used to do this shit all the time. I've had way worse than this." Mickey offered weakly.  

Ian tossed a bloody cotton swab away and turned a steely gaze on his boyfriend.  

"Things are different now. I mean what if Yev had saw you come in like that?"  

Mickey automatically winced at the sound of his son's name and looked down in shame. Ian stood up close to Mickey, caging him in against the sink and taking Mickey's face carefully in his hands.  

"You got people who love you now Mickey, people who care. I don't know what I'd do if I ever lost you. This face." He hummed squeezing his cheeks gently. "So no more fighting. From now on we call 911 like normal people."  

Mickey sighed guiltily. "Yea, okay."  

Ian smiled softly, leaning in to kiss Mickey.  

"I love you, dumbass."  

"Love you too."  

They each took a pause staring lovingly at each other.  

Mickey's grin slowly reappeared on his face as he wrapped his arms around Ian.  

"I totally kicked his ass though."  

Ian simply sighed. 

*** 

 

"Yevgeny get up!!" 

They were late.  

Everyone overslept. Mickey was gonna be late to work, Yev to his first day of school, and Ian to his meeting, and Mandy to . . . well nothing. 

"I don't want to." Yev grumbled rolling deeper into his covers.  

"Yevgeny Mikhail Milkovich get your ass out of bed now!"  

Chaos ensued as everyone struggled to get ready. Breakfast was toast shoved into faces as Mickey tried to eat while Ian tied his tie for him. Both of them were dressed in their slacks and dress shirts, ready for the professional day ahead of them. If, of course they could ever get out of the door.  

"Yevgeny!" Mickey yelled again.  

"I'm coming, Jesus." He huffed thumping down the stairs. 

He was dressed in the khakis he and Ian had picked out and his iron man t-shirt from during the summer. Ian and Mickey immediately began to fret over the young boy.  

"Aww look at you!" Ian cooed petting at Yev's hair obsessively. 

"My boy's in khakis." Mickey murmured thickly.  

"I thought we were running late!" The boy whined.  

"Yea, yea, let's go JCrew."  

"Hey. I've got a couple meetings today over near the school. I thought maybe I could pick you up and we could celebrate with a little ice cream. What do ya say?" 

"Sounds awesome! Love you Ian." 

He reached forward to huge Ian goodbye.  

"Love you too buddy." Ian beamed.  

The dive was quiet as both men struggled to eat their breakfasts and not mess up their clothes. But, when it was time for Yevgeny to go inside Mickey made sure to get out of the car and embarrass him with a huge hug. It was kind of adorable. He didn't cry though and that's all that mattered.  

Life for Yevgeny Milkovich at his new school was better than even he could've expected. He and Ethan weren't in the same class, but they were in the same grade, which meant recess with his best friends. There was also a group of boys in his class that let him join their group for reading time. His teacher, Miss A, was the brightest, sweetest lady in all of the world. She had on a bright yellow dress and the warmest smile and she gave them candy, so he was absolutely in love with everything about this place. 

"Yev I'm gonna send home some papers to look at with your parents. You did amazing on your little test we took this morning and I think maybe we can see about putting you in a higher math and English class if that's okay with you. I think you're gonna do amazing here." She told him. 

And so he beamed as he walked outside withhis backpack bouncing about on his shoulders. He found Ian and happily climbed into Delilah with a huge smirk on his face.  

"How was school, kiddo?"  

"It. Was. AWESOME."  

He launched into a tale about his day that lasted through ice-cream and the whole way home. Ethan and Liam rode their bikes over to the Milkovich-Gallagher residence after homework and seeing Yev with a ll his friends would never fail to make Ian absolutely ecstatic. And nothing was better than cooking a dinner for his family and smelling the husky scent of his boyfriend's cologne right before he wrapped his arms around his hips from behind.  

"Remind me why I didn't want us to live together during the school year again?" 

Ian smiled. "Because you've yet to realize how simple your life would be if you just let me have my way. Don't worry, you'll get used to it."  

"Oh is that so?" Mickey chuckled.  

He nodded. "In fact… the boys are all playing downstairs. Your sister is in the pool house. You wanna go upstairs and make your life a whole lot simpler?"  

"A lot, huh?" 

"A _lot_."  

They tripped over themselves to get to the stairs. What a great start to the year.  

When Liam and Ethan eventually made their way home for dinner, the three men and Mandy sat down to eat themselves, chicken parm—Yevgeny's favorite—quickly filling their mouths.  

"My teacher thinks I'm smart enough to take harder classes." Yevgeny stated proudly to his parents(parent and Ian whatever) 

"Really?" Mickey asked.  

He nodded enthusiastically. "I did really well on my test to check where I am in school, and she said I can take math and English classes with the fifth graders if I want to."  

"Wow. She give you any info on this?" 

"Yea! I'll go get it."  

Mickey read over this paper that basically outlined the fact that his son wasn't a fuck up due to being raised by a fuck up, but that, instead, he was ahead of where he needed to be. And this news made Mickey absolutely giddy. He was the proudest father on the face of the planet always, but something about that paper just made it all feel real, made it feel like he was gratified in the life he'd attempted to build for his kid. He hadn't fucked up.  

"Look at you not being a complete piece of shit father." Mandy smirked at her brother. "Terry would be disgusted."  

Mickey snorted. "I'm proud of you kid. This is amazing. It's up to you if you wanna do it or not. It might be a little more work than you're used to."  

"I want to! I mean… I think I could be really good."  

"I'm sure you could. We're so excited for you Yevy." Ian smiled.  

Dinner passed in mindless chit-chat and funny stories. Yev took Mandy off to watch a movie while Mickey and Ian got the dishes. They watched tv together until it was time for bed, and Mandy retreated to the safety and comfort of the pool house while all the men headed to their bedrooms. Mickey stepped into a much needed shower to wash the hardships of the day off of him. When he got out Ian was waiting for him on the bed, tugging at his towel to see the best part of his day. Mickey.  

"You're so weird." Mickey hummed as Ian followed a trail of water down Mickey's hip with his tongue.  

"Shut up." Ian replied menacingly.  

Ian reached to slide his hands over Mickey's hips and down his backside, chuckling when he felt how tense his boyfriend was.  

"What are you so rigid for? You're beautiful to me. Nothing about you should be shamed or laughed at. I love all of you." 

His mouth opened in an act of that love allowing Mickey to slip deeper into the warmth and acceptance that was his mouth. His kisses were hard and bruising, teeth marking Mickey like the gentle peach that he was. God, did he love him. He loved Ian with everything that he had.  

"C'mon." Mickey whined slipping his hands onto Ian's shoulders. "More."  

Ian grinned up at him. "I love it when you get all one worded answers on me." 

Mickey shoved at Ian, making them fall unceremoniously to the bed. That was his happy place. When work was hell and always left him achy and stressed, that moment with Ian took it all away, left him happy and sated.  

"Want you to take care of me." Mickey hummed tugging Ian close.  

Ian smiled softly.  

"That all I wanna do."  

*** 

 

School was a lot of work. Yevgeny had to go to the fifth grade hallway after lunch for English and Math. As smart as he was according to Miss A, there was still lots to catch up on. He spent hours reading books and practicing his math. There were letters that hadn't been there before. But Liam was older and helped a lot. Not to mention Mickey was amazing at math and always willing to help when he could. Once he got the hang of things though things were great. He felt ten times more included than he ever had at his old school. Things were good.  

In fact things were going great for everyone . . . except Mandy. Moving in with Ian and Mickey had meant leaving everything in the Southside behind including her job. As great as the pool house was, she felt useless sitting around all day. It's not like she had any friends in the prepare neighborhood of the Northside. Sitting in her brother's expensive ass pool house all day just made her feel insignificant.  

Ian piled all of Mandy's clean clothes into a basket before taking it to the pool house. He expected her to be asleep, Mandy not being exactly an early riser by any means, but instead she was draped over her couch flipping channels on the tv upside down.  

"Hey. I'm about to head to work. You need anything?"  

"A life perhaps?"  

Ian chuckled. "Why don't you go out? Take one of the cars, have fun."  

"I know nothing about this place. I'm a piece of shit Southside girl."  

"Mickey figured it out. So did I. And so can you."  

"Can I come with you to work?"  

"Oh Mandy I don't know about that."  

"C'monnnn. Please? I'm dying of boredom here."  

Ian sighed. "Alright, alright. Get dressed before I'm late."  

Mandy squealed and launched herself off the couch to go get ready.  

They headed into the office together. Mandy was shocked at the sheer magnitude of the building. It was one thing to see the fruits of his labor and another entirely to see the labor itself. She got into the elevator and was floored, no pun intended, by the amount of floors alone. Then it expanded outwards to a big wide open space full of desks and cubicles with people running around. As they walked everyone welcomed Ian with gracious smiles like he was a friend rather than a boss. It was like something on tv.  

"Wow. Quite a gig you got here." She grinned after entering Ian's equally impressive office.  

"Yea. Took a lot of blood, sweat, tears, and shit to get here, but I'm glad we did."  

"I'm sure you are. First generation millionaire and all that."  

"It's not even that really. I remember stealing food off trucks so we could eat. Working at strip clubs to pay for the heat so my little brother didn't freeze. I thought money solved everything you know? Thought it would make things perfect. But really it just creates more problems. Just different ones. I mean I wanna provide for my family, this allows me to do it. But if I had to leave it behind… retire or something. I would." 

"Give it up huh? This have anything to do with my brother?"  

The redness of his cheeks contrasted with the redness of his hair making it obvious. 

"Maybe one day. If he'll let me." He smiled.  

The rest of the day continued comfortably. Ian did work while Mandy found things to do around the building. She found the office to be kind of interesting, whether because anything would look interesting compared to the pool house or not, she wasn't quite sure. But, she liked it. And that was more than she could say for anything back home.  

"Hello?" Ian mumbled into the phone while trying to multi-task with his computer.  

"Hey, just wanted to check in, see how you were doing." Mickey said.  

"Mickey Milkovich are you checking in on your boyfriend for no apparent reason? Why that just may be the cutest darn thing I've ever seen."  

"Yea fuck off. Look I was just thinking… schools in full force. We're kind out of the woods now. Things are establishing a rhythm. You know like Yev's good and I'm happy that's he's good. The kid's fuckin fantastic and—"  

"Mick you're rambling." Ian smiled. "Is there something you wanna ask me?"  

Mickey huffed. "Just thought maybe we could go out or something. Get away from the house. Dump the kid on my sister since it doesn't seem like she's gonna be going anywhere any time soon."  

"You wanna go out with me?"  

"Yea Gallagher… That okay with you?"  He replied shyly.  

"That sounds amazing Mick. I'd love to."  

"Okay."  

"Okay. I love you."  

"Yea love you too." The older man said gruffly. 

Ian practically beamed at the phone. That man was a fucking treasure.  

When Ian and Mandy got home that evening Mickey was waiting. Mandy had agreed to watch Yev and after changing into something more comfortable they were free to go out. It was weird and sudden, but it felt nice.  

"Are you sure it's not my birthday?" Ian smirked as they sat down at his favorite restaurant.  

Mickey rolled his eyes. "What, I can't do something nice?  

"'Course you can. Just nice to feel appreciated is all."  

He reached for Mickey's hand intertwining their fingers together on the table.  

What a sap. 

Dinner was nice and having each other's company was nicer. When school started he was sure that something would go wrong somehow, that all his fears would come true. But they didn't. Things were calm. They felt good and every day spent with Ian was like the best day ever. Not because it was something epic thing out of a romance novel, but because he felt safe, felt happy and that with in itself was more than he ever could have expected.  

"So I'm curious… In this little vision of yours where we're a married couple. What's it like?"  

He shrugged. "A lot like things are now. We live together with Yevgeny. I take on the soccer dad role: cart Yevgeny to the mall or afterschool sports or the library, whatever he might need. Some days there's another kid there, other days I'm just content with what we have. Either way I wake up to you every morning and that's all I really care about. We're together and we're making it work."  

Mickey nodded absently running his thumb along Ian's hand leaving Ian to groan softly in frustration.  

"What I wouldn't give to know what goes on inside that head of yours."  

He smiled. "Nothing that interesting. Promise."  

On the contrary, Mickey was thinking about changing the only rule he had left for Ian, releasing the last brick of the wall he'd spent all of his life building. If the school year was showing him anything at all, it was that being stubborn wasn't always the best choice.  

"You wanna go bowling?" Ian asked out of the blue.  

Mickey snorted. "Bowling?"  

"Yea. I have this vision of you in bowling shoes, really gets me going." 

"That's what gets you going? I give you Oscar worthy romance, five star restaurant, public displays of affection; the whole yards and you want bowling shoes?"  

Ian smiled at him wide and goofy. "Everything about you gets me going Mick. Just wanna watch your ass when you bend over to bowl too. It's the perfect foreplay."  

Mickey shook his head as their waitress brought back the check.  

"Alright, let's go bowl."  

 

* 1 hour later* 

 

"In your face Gallagher!"  

"Fuck off! I totally let you win." 

"Oh yea sure!"  

"Well it's not my fault… You were distracting."  

Ian wrapped his arms around Mickey's hips hand skirting dangerously close to his ass. Mickey didn't even flinch or look around the room to gauge the safety. He always felt safe with Ian.  

He hummed peering up at Ian. "I know what you mean."  

"We should go home."  

"No way the kid's out yet."  

Ian sighed ducking his head down till his lips met Mickey's ear.  

"But, I want you." 

Mickey groaned pitifully. "Car."  

"I will not get jizz on my Delilah Mickey; I won't do it."  

Mickey's eyes rolled back into his head as the weird ass obsession Ian had with his car continued. Idiot. 

"Then find somewhere useful to put your jizz. C'mon Gallagher, live a little dangerously."  

And that is how they ended up in the parking lot bent over in the cramped back seat as Ian took him from behind.  

"Jesus—Ian." Mickey whined.  

His hands were against the window mouth open and fogging up the glass. Ian was draped over him heavy and warm and so good.  

"We—We can't cum in the car." Ian grunted.  

"Will you stop thinking about the car and fuck me?"  

"Yea, okay." He muttered hips picking up speed again.  

When Ian wasn't dicking around with his car he was much more efficient at dicking down his boyfriend the way he deserved. Mickey reveled in the sharp snap of his hips, all the air being plunged from his lungs. It was the best pain he could ever feel. And when it was time and Ian started bucking against him he slid off his dick and down in the small space to eagerly suck him down.  

"Fuck. Yes, Mick."  

He bobbed quickly sucking hard on every upward pull. His tongue laved at the underside of Ian's cock, saliva pooling in his cheeks. Ian pulled at Mickey's hair hips bucking into the warm confines of his mouth as his orgasm raced up his spine  

"Shit! That's good." He hissed.  

Mickey worked him through the aftershocks before pulling off with a plop.  

"Christ Mickey." Ian hummed collapsing against the leather seat.  

Mickey grinned.  

Ian's head was against the seat, skin flushed and beautiful all the way down to his cock still twitching against Ian's abdomen. Mickey couldn't help but find him kind of gorgeous.  

"You're still hard. Come 'ere." Ian replied hazily reaching for his boyfriend's hips.  

Mickey straddled his hips peering down as Ian found a way to bend and swallow him too. That ladies and gentlemen is true love.  

*** 

 

"Mandy where have you been for the last two hours?" Ian exclaimed.  

The whole take your boyfriend's sister to work thing had continued shockingly enough and Mandy couldn't seem to get enough of the place. But instead of hanging out in his office she'd taken to simply hanging around the building, and what she did on her little expeditions was not going unnoticed by the boss.  

"Your assistant can't file for shit. I showed her how to alphabetize. God forbid something can't be done on a computer and she acts like it's the stone ages." 

Ian couldn't help but smirk. "You know how to alphabetize?"  

"Who do you think taught Mickey everything he knows?"  

"Hmmm."  

They were interrupted by his so-called assistant coming in with a guilty smile on her face.  

"Mandy I—I was wondering if you could help me with that . . . thing we were talking about?"  

Ian barely held back a snort, but decided to let it play out.  

Mandy sighed. "Already?"  

"Yea I uh I can't get it to work."  

"Fine. Thank god you're pretty."  

They left together leaving Ian to stew in his ideas. It wouldn't take much work. He did own the company after all. He should probably run it past Lip, but the less Lip knew about Mandy the better. Nah he'd just do it. Yep. Okay.  

At dinner that night, between baked potatoes, steak, and witty banter Ian decided to drop the news.  

"So, I think I'm gonna hire Mandy as my new assistant." 

"What?!" Mandy and Mickey exclaimed in unison proving that they were siblings to the core.  

He shrugged. "You do more work than the assistant I have now. You've got experience. We get along. And you need something to keep you occupied, get you back on your feet. This is perfect don't you think?"  

"Ian… I don't need a handout. I can get a job. I mean if you guys feel like I'm—"  

"Oh don't go all Milkovich on me, please, you guys are absolutely exhausting." Ian said only to be elbowed by Mickey. "It's not a handout. You're helping me. I mean, I adore you, Mands. You're smart as all hell and I'd really appreciate if you'd come work for me."  

Mandy smiled over at him, small and reserved at first before quickly turning into a full blown grin. She reminded him of Mickey more than ever then.  

"Thank you so much!" She exploded straddling his lap to kiss him all over.  

Mickey allowed it at first before quickly getting fed up.  

"Alright get the fuck off my boyfriend."  

Yevgeny laughed as he threw his napkin at her head. He loved his family.  

"You didn't have to do that." Mickey murmured as they did the dishes together after dinner.  

"I know. I wanted to."  

He nodded watching as Ian continued to load the dishwasher. Mickey couldn't help but think as he watched his boyfriend clean. Think about all the love that just seemed to radiate from Ian's pores. He was selfless and happy and constantly trying to spread that happiness to everyone around him. He was like the sun, exuding warmth and light to everyone he came across. He was perfect. And Mickey wasn't even fully appreciating him, he was just letting time go by and settling. Why?  

"Hey, I know you got that meeting tomorrow so I shuffled some things around and I'll go pick up Yevy from school. I figured he could tag along on the grocery shopping." 

Mickey groaned softly. "You're perfect aren't you?"  

"Maybe." He grinned. "I'll show you after Yev goes to bed."  

Mickey practically whined. He was perfect.  

And that perfection only continued. Ian took Mandy to some high end store in the city to get a new wardrobe. "My employees have to look good Mickey!" was the excuse for funding the shindig. He was giving her benefits, dental, health; the whole nine yards and the pay was way too good to be an entry level position for an assistant, but Mandy wasn't complaining.  

As far as she was concerned Ian Gallagher was an angel with a six pack. It didn't hurt that she was a damn good assistant either. Within the first month everyone was happy. Mandy was building up her savings, after paying Ian back every dime for her wardrobe at her—and Mickey's—insistence. Yevgeny had made the all A honor roll and Mickey was getting fed and laid every single night. Life was on another realm of perfection, and he couldn't help but feel like it was all because of Ian.  

When teacher conferences rolled around Yevgeny had two people there for him who couldn't have been prouder. And for the first time Mickey didn't freak, didn't make Ian stay in the car or any of the stuff he'd thought about doing in previous years. In fact, when Ian reached to hold his hand, he squeezed their interlocked fingers with ease.  

In Yev's classroom was a tiny, fairy-like woman with short brown hair and excitement bursting from within her. She nearly spilled her coffee rushing to greet them, and wore a bright yellow skirt to match her bubbling personality.  

"Mickey, Ian please come in!"  

Ian was the one who usually picked up Yev from school, but it was Mickey who always dropped him off and Miss A had caught on quick. There were no questions, no assumptions; she simply took them as they were and it was immensely refreshing for the two of them.  

"I'm so excited to talk about Yev. He's one of my favorite students in the whole school. So smart, so awesome; I absolutely adore him." She gushed.  

Mickey rolled his eyes but was secretly the happiest he could possibly be. Ian could tell he was beaming inside with pride, and he showed that for the best of them.  

"As I'm sure you know, Yevgeny is on our all A honor roll for this semester. He's doing really well in his advanced classes of course. His teacher have all raved at his ability to absorb information, and his willingness to understand. He was struggling at the beginning with quadratic equations, but was persistent staying after school for help and ended up getting the highest grade in the class. He's really a driven young man."  

Mickey hummed at that giving Ian a look that said: "My boy! Did you see? That's my boy!"  

"When he's with me he's constantly setting an example for other students. He's made plenty of friends here and he just seems to be having such a great time. He's so bright, really."  

"Thanks. He really is."  

She smiled. "I actually wanted to share a piece of writing he submitted. We're asking him to share it at the honor roll banquet later this month. I thought you two might like a sneak peek."  

She handed Mickey the paper and Ian leaned over, setting his chin on Mickey's shoulder so they could read together. It was entitled What Makes Me, Me and it kind of killed Mickey inside.  

_I come from a town where men would rather hurt their sons and make them pretend to be something they're not, than let them be happy. That's why I'm here. I had a mom who left and a dad who stayed,_ _leaving everything behind so that I could be safe. He worked hard every day for me. Sometimes he let me eat while going to bed hungry because that's all he could afford. And sometimes we slept together under lots and lots of blankets because the heat cost too much. He loved me though, always putting my happiness above his, and it worked. He made sure I got everything I needed and more. He could've been mad at me, mad at what I represented, but that's not the kind of man he is. My dad gave me the world and then made it bigger for the two of us._  

_Ian is the other person who takes care of me. He fell in love with my dad, and then he fell in love with me. He takes care of us like we're his family and we are. Ian showed me that loving someone can change everything. He gave my dad a reason to smile, gave him friendship and protection. And he gave me the same even though he didn't have to, because he wanted to. Sometimes I feel like he's my parent too because he's always acted like one more than my mom ever did. But what I know now more than anything is that family isn't limited by marriage or_ _by the_ _drawings they make you do in kindergarten. Family is only determined by love. My dad, my Ian, my new found Aunt Mandy,_ _are mine just like I'm theirs. So are Ian's sisters, my best friends: Liam and Brian, all the people that are_ _mine_ _, not by blood but just by want. I come from broken homes and broken hearts, but I also come from good stuff too. I used to think I wasn't wanted, that I just made the people I loved lives' harder. But, now I know I don't. I come from love that is endless. And I've never felt so full._  

Mickey was a wreck, and Miss A quickly excused herself to give them a minute and within seconds Mickey was shoving his hands into his eye balls to fight the emotion. 

"Well obviously we've got the next Shakespeare on our hands." Ian murmured placing a warm hand on Mickey's neck.  

Mickey chuckled wetly. "Yea."  

"That's gotta feel good to hear though, huh? Now you know you've done such a good job with him.  

Mickey nodded but didn't say anything, already fighting a lump in his throat.  

Ian grinned. "Told you."  

They left with Yev's paper and Mickey went straight home to hug the hell out of his kid. Ian was proud and happy for both of his men, so he left them to their moment.   

"I'll go start the shower." He murmured pressing his forehead affectionately into Mickey's shoulder.  

Mickey climbed into bed with Yev each of them resting their head against the other.  

"Your teacher told me what a little shit you've been at school."  

Yevgeny laughed at that shoving his dad.  

"No she didn't!"  

"So maybe she didn't." He grinned. "She did show me some of your writing though."  

Yevgeny grew quiet, hiding his face in his father's neck.  

"You mean all that stuff you said about me and Ian?"  

The young boy nodded softly.  

"I love you guys."  

Mickey smiled leaning in to kiss his son's hair. "We love you too."  

They sat together for a minute basking into the calm quiet. Mickey fidgeted trying to think of a way to ask what he wanted to ask. Mickey never was one for subtly.  

"Did you mean what you said about Ian feeling like a parent?"  

"Well… yea. He's more of my parent then my mom ever was right?"  

"You got me there kid."  

Deep breath. Spit it out.  

"So like . . . him being your step dad wouldn't be the worst thing in the world?"  

Yev snickered. "Funny dad."  

"I'm serious Yevy."  

They locked eyes for a second, Yevgeny's wide with shock at the news.  

"I'm gonna have a step dad? Really? Ian?!"  

"Shhhhh." Mickey hissed clapping his hand over his son's mouth. "He doesn't know yet."  

"Well you gotta go ask him, dad. Right this second!"  

"Oh yea cause nothing says romance like a marriage proposal in the shower. 'Hey Ian will you pass the soap? Oh, and let's get hitched.'"  

Yevgeny rolled his eyes. "Okay, then when?"  

"I don't know. I just figured it out myself Yev."  

"Ugh. Fine. But we gotta figure it out soon dad."  

"We." Mickey snorted. "You are way too excited about my love life."  

"It's not just your love life. This is my future dad we're talking about here."  

"And here I thought I was special."  

Yevgeny hummed wrapping his arms tightly around his father.  

"You are. But Ian is too."  

And if that didn't just warm Mickey's cold, dead heart.  

At the honor roll banquet Yevgeny read his paper out loud. Mickey and Ian barely managed to keep it together, but made sure to stand and applaud as loud and obnoxious as they could. Yev couldn't have been happier. It was a complete 180 twist to how life at his old school had gone. For the first time it wasn't just him and his dad though he had loved every second of that. Yevgeny finally had what he'd always wanted. A family. This big vast, group of people that loved him and were there for him and he, them. Things were so different then how they used to be. So much better. And his dad was gonna make it a whole lot better soon.  

The plan was to take him to dinner. Mickey had gotten his ring size from Fiona, only after thirty minutes of high pitched squealing, and the satin box was officially burning a hole in his pocket. Yevgeny helped dress him insisting that he wore one of the overly expensive, ridiculously printed dress shires Ian had bought for him and black slacks. He also fussed with his hair like he was goddamn stylist or something.  

"Goddammit Yevy, get off!" Mickey muttered swatting at his hands.  

"You gotta look nice or he won't marry us dad!"  

"Here we go again with the us." Mickey smirked.  

"Well it kind is isn't it? I mean, he's gotta take both of us. I'm full time job."  

Mickey smiled at his boy who seemed less and less like a boy by the day.  

"I guess you got a point, kid."  

They picked Ian up from work as a surprise and to say Mickey was nervous was the understatement of a life time.  

"Hey! What are you guys doing here?" He smiled quickly scooping Yev up for a huge and kissing Mickey's cheek.  

"We uh . . . . We—food." Mickey stuttered lamely.  

Yevgeny rolled his eyes. Smooth dad. Smooth.  

"Dad said we could go out to eat to celebrate how well I'm doing in school." 

"Did he now? Well I'm always up for a celebration."  

"Good." Yev grinned.  

Mickey was mortified.  

Ian quickly locked everything up leading his favorite men out of the office. He beamed with pride when his co-workers gushed over them. Ian knew they were something to gush over. In the elevator he tried to interact with Mickey, making his usual grab for the shorter men's hips, but Mickey was tense and shaky. It was weird to see him that way and Ian had no idea what the cause of it was.  

"Hey." Ian murmured trapping his boyfriend against the car after Yev had climbed in. 

Mickey wouldn't meet his eye and suddenly he wasn't the only one who was nervous.  

"Is everything okay?" He murmured.  

"Y—Yea."  

Ian frowned. "Are you sure? You seem tense. Nervous even."  

"It's just some stupid shit at work. No big deal."  

"Okay. You can tell me all about it over dinner. It's not good to keep stuff bottled up."  

"Tell me about it." Mickey mumbled to himself.  

They made their way to Ian's favorite restaurant, an Italian place with amazing wine and a good atmosphere. It wasn't exactly a kid friendly place though, which was why Ian's confusion spiked again as they parked the car.  

"Yev are you sure you wanna eat here? I don't think they even have a kid's menu."  

Mickey's eyes widened, sure that he'd fucked up the surprise and the whole thing was ruined when Yevgeny, the little shit, perfected his poker face out of nowhere and smiled.  

"Of course; I'm a man now and Dad promised I could go to a grown up dinner."  

Miraculously, it worked.  

"Awww. Maybe we'll get you a class of a wine and a cigar too."  

"Really?"  

"No not really. Keep it moving." Mickey snorted checking his son upside the head.   

They went inside where Mickey got them a reserved table, which was also confusing. Especially since they'd never even gotten a reservation there together. It was weird and mystifying and Ian had no idea how to feel about it. And then on top of it all, Mickey ordered a 500 dollar bottle of wine and Ian was convinced someone had kidnapped his boyfriend and assumed his identity.  

"Are you feeling okay?" Ian asked feeling Mickey's forehead for a fever.  

Mickey laughed. "I'm fine. Just celebratin' is all."  

"Yea. Celebrating. See, celebrations for fourth graders don't typically entail reservation at a high end Italian restaurant and a 500 dollar bottle of wine. Yev made the honor roll, not cured cancer. It's not like he's getting engaged; he's a child."  

Mickey, who had been in the middle of sipping his ice water sputtered and choked nearly knocking the glass over in the process. Yev winced at his father empathetically. He wasn't sure he'd make it out of this alive.  

"What is going on with you?" Ian marveled clapping his dying boyfriend on the back. 

"Nothing, nothing I just swallowed wrong."  

They managed to order food without further incident. Yevgeny recounted a story about his latest adventures as teacher's pet. Apparently Miss A let him stay with her during recess so they could clean together. Ian listened intently while Mickey trying to remember to breathe. It wasn't that he was nervous that Ian would say no. His boyfriend had been hinting at marriage for over a year. It was the fear of letting go that ailed him. He'd committed to Ian, knew that he would ask him and he would marry him if that was truly what Ian wanted. But, that didn't make it any less scary, and Mickey still wasn't positive that he wouldn't mess everything up. And that was really the biggest thing of all. Ian was the best thing Mickey had ever had since Yevgeny, and the thought of ever losing him both terrified him to bite the bullet, and encouraged him to do so. 

"Can we get desert?!" Yevgeny recited the perfectly scripted line.  

Mickey nodded. "Why not?"  

"Mick he just ate enough pasta to drain Italy. Are you sure that's a good idea?"  

"Since when are you so worrisome? Relax Gallagher. It's a great time to be alive. We should enjoy it a little more."  

He reached for Ian's hand threading their fingers together and Yev quickly clamped his hand over his mouth to hide his bursting grin.  

"I wanna keep you alive a lot longer, all the more reason to skip desert." Ian sighed.  

Mickey shrugged, a smile tugging at his lips. "Yea, but sometimes you gotta indulge right? Sometimes it's okay to take something and hold onto it even if you don't deserve it. Maybe because it's good for you. Because it makes you happy."  

"Absolutely." He whispered. 

The long romantic pause where they gazed into each other's eyes was wonderful for the two grown men. Not so wonderful for the nine year old.  

"Oh just ask him already!"  

"Yevgeny!" Mickey hissed.  

"Ask me what?" Ian asked peering back and forth between the two. "Mickey, what is it?"  

"Alright, alright already."  

Mickey reached into his pocket fumbling a little bit with the box.  

"It's uh—it's stupid, but I had this idea that maybe you might be into marrying me?" 

Ian's eyes widened. His hand which had still rested in Mickey's froze clenching down, and his heart may have stopped all together. He forgot to breathe until his body reminded him causing him to gasp out for air.  

"Don't fuck with me, please? My heart can't take that."  

Mickey smiled. "Who's fuckin' with you?"  

"Oh my god. Oh my god Mickey, you can't be serious. Are you serious? If this is joke I will kick your ass. Really?"  

Mickey snorted flipping open the box to reveal the ring.  

"Really, Gallagher. What do you say; wanna hitch your wagon to mine?"  

And the things that took place next could not be helped.  

Ian hopped out of his chair, not giving Mickey a chance to do any of the romantic shit he had planned, and just straight up sat on his lap wrapping his legs around the back of his chair as they kissed. It was the long, soul trembling type of kiss that always left Mickey feeling shy and exhausted, but this time he leaned even deeper into it. Ian's hands came up to rest on Mickey's jaw pulling him closer with every kiss of their lips. Mickey wrapped his hand around the back of Ian's neck, playing with the hair there. It was so painstakingly perfect in every way.  

"Is that a yes?" Mickey asked breathlessly.  

"It's about damn time." Ian smiled. "Yes. A hundred thousand times yes. Holy shit, Mick."  

And then they were kissing again and Yevgeny thought it best not to interrupt them this one time. Plus he was on recording duty and he didn't wanna disappoint Aunt Fiona after all.  

*** 

 

"Will I marry you? You're such a fuckin' asshole." Ian scoffed ripping at Mickey's clothes with a ferocity that really got his new fiancé going.  

"I thought this was what you wanted. You did say yes ya know."  

Ian latched his lips onto Mickey's chest sucking at the pale skin till it was flushed with blood.  

"Of course it is. But you surprised me. You took me to dinner. You knew I would love having Yevy there with us. You paid for wine! You've never bought a bottle of wine since we met. You think it's a scam to sell pretentious assholes rotten grape juice. But you did it. You did it for me. Cause you love me."  

"I'm having trouble finding the flaw here."  

Ian huffed pulling up so that he could look into Mickey's eyes. Those baby blues that he'd been shocked by in the grocery store. Mickey for all that he'd hidden for so many years of his life, couldn't hide from Ian. Those eyes told everything. And in that moment they showed that Mickey really, truly loved him. It wasn't a prank or some cruel joke. It was love. And suddenly Ian had everything he'd ever wanted and then some.  

"You're perfect." He whispered running his thumb along Mickey's jaw. "And you're mine. No one else's."  

Mickey couldn't help but nod shyly, the possession so overwhelming and warm.  

"I love you Mickey."  

Mickey slipped his hands up Ian's back, fingers traveling the vast expanse of toned muscle there and pulled him closer on top of him.  

"I love you too."  

That night was explosive in more ways than one. Getting engaged to Ian was like letting go of the last piece of his old life. He was no longer that scared kid from the Southside hooking up in allies to get his rocks off and fucking girls to satisfy his father. He didn't have to be scared anymore. Cause there was this person who wanted to love him and take care of him and cherish him all the time. And that person was a man and that was okay. Because like . . . love.  

When Ian went to show him just how thankful he was for Mickey, he thought they might never make it down the aisle. He'd be perfectly fine going out with Ian touching him that way. His body was hot; all hard muscles and thick flesh that he completely entrapped Mickey in. His fingers clawed up Mickey's thighs digging in and taking hold as he rocked his body in the midst of sweaty sheets. It was special. It was good.  

"H—Harder. Please, Ian." Mickey whined.  

His body bowed off the bed hips meeting Ian's in rugged, needy thrusts. And Ian held him in all the right place, grabbing his waist and plunging forward so that his pelvis rocked into Mickey's. IT was harsh and fast and so fucking tender that neither of them knew what to do. They couldn't get close enough, couldn't kiss hard enough, couldn't love each other enough. But they were willing to try and that seemed like good enough grounds for a marriage. And an orgasm.  

*** 

 

Mickey's eyebrows and dick woke up way before the rest of him did. Then it was his hips, subconsciously bucking into the warm confines of a mouth. His fingers yawned stretching and curling into the sheets desperately. By the time his eyes opened Ian had already found lube and was entering Mickey with his fingers and the type of precision that only a man in love could possess. He came quickly with a grunt. Thank God for engagements.  

"Good morning to you too, _shit_." Mickey breathed collapsing against the sheets.  

Ian grinned into his inner thigh, running his teeth along the flesh.  

"Morning. I had this really weird dream last night that I wanna share with you."  

"Is that so?"  

"Mhm. You see this really attractive guy asked me to marry him despite grumpily denying my near constant proposals for years. And then we had really, really, _really_ amazing sex… and then I died."  

Mickey burst out laughing and Ian was absolutely smitten at the sound. He had it bad folks and he was proud of it.  

"You're right; that is a weird dream." Mickey chuckled.  

He reached between his thighs where Ian was still resting and ran his fingers through the ginger hair still messy from the night before. Ian kissed lovingly at the back of his hand and sighed.  

"I'm gonna marry you." He hummed. "So hard."  

"I'm kinda looking forward to it."  

"Yea? See what happens when you let me have my way? Eternal bliss."  

"Yea, why don't you come show me a little more of that eternal bliss."  

Needless to say they were late getting started on the day.  

"Oh jesus it is way too early for you two to be eye banging each other." Mandy groaned reaching between the two lovers for coffee.  

"What's eye banging?" Yevgeny asked.  

"Nothing!" Ian and Mickey called in unison.  

"We'll have to tell everyone." Ian beamed holding Mickey captive against the counter. "People at work. My family. I want everyone to know how lucky I am."  

Mandy made a dramatic showing of gagging on her finger that Yevgeny found very funny.  

Mickey scrunched up his nose. "Can't we just elope?"  

Ian laughed. "Oh honey you're so cute."  

He patted Mickey on the cheek before bringing more breakfast to the table where his assistant was conveniently waiting for him.  

"Come Monday I want you to find me the best wedding planner in Chicago. Or the US, I'm not picky. Just find them and get them here okay? Whatever the cost."  

Mickey and Mandy shared a look. They'd definitely just created a monster.  

Monster was a bit of an understatement. A more accurate statement would be unstoppable force. Ian planned an engagement party within hours, and the wedding within days. He was so excited, so full of ideas that he constantly wanted to share. And Mickey tried to listen, he really did. But he didn't exactly share Ian's excitement for a dream wedding. A wedding had never been in his dreams. Neither had Ian for that matter. But now that he had him he just wanted to keep him already instead of draw things out even longer. The planning quickly got exhausting.  

"Why have the wedding in Chicago when we could go somewhere exotic, somewhere even more beautiful. Anywhere in the world you wanna go, I'll make it happen." Ian declared. 

Mickey sighed. "But I don't wanna go anywhere. I'm perfectly fine with here. I don't need the dramatics Ian."  

"It's not dramatics; it's about consummating our love in the most perfect place we can find, Mickey. There is nothing dramatic about my love for you. I want this to be perfect." He whined.  

"And it will be, jackass." His fiancé huffed.  "As long you're there it is perfect."  

That brought a smile the size of Jupiter to Ian's face though and it was very difficult to say no to a face like that. At least for now.  

*** 

 

"I think we should go down the aisle on horses."  

Mickey immediately cracked up not quite realizing that his fiancé was a hundred and ten percent serious. Oh god.  

"You've gotta be _fucking_ kidding me."  

"No just hear me out. Neither of us exactly have parents to walk us down the aisle. But I found these beautiful white Arabian horses. Doesn't that sound perfect?"  

"What—no. No it doesn't sound perfect. It sounds gay as all fuck Ian. Why would you think I would want to get married on a fucking horse?! Have we met? I cut the sleeves off my shirts as an act of fashion. Do I look like the type of guy to ride a horse?"  

Ian only laughed. "You're so silly."  

Mickey raised an eyebrow as a way to say: please shut the fuck up. Your face is pretty and I don't wanna hurt it. Ian let it go for the time being.  

Before he knew it, Mickey was being coerced to the most expensive restaurant he'd ever been to in his entire life just to tell people what they already fucking knew. But, Ian was excited and he wouldn't take that away from him. Even though he'd rented out an entire restaurant that was already four hundred bucks a person. What the ever loving fuck? This man was gonna kill him before he ever got down the aisle.  

"Can I have everyone's attention please?" Ian grinned lifting his champagne class in the air. "I wanna propose a toast to one of the most important men in my life. For giving everything including his unconditional love. And for looking damn sexy while doing it!"  

"Sweet Jesus." Mickey mumbled under his breath.  

While it was really nice to be wined and dined, Mickey would've been just fine cooking at home. And despite the fact that he'd opened himself up enough to finally ask Ian to marry him, that didn't mean all of his issues were suddenly solved. He still struggled with statements like: "Looking damn sexy" and that was something Ian knew, something Ian had always paid such special care and attention to. But for some reason the wedding had triggered something in him. He started forgetting finer details, always so keen to focus on these huge, vast ideas, that often times he'd get too swept up until he was on to the next big thing. It was exhausting to watch and quite frankly a little nerve wracking.  

"Hey can we just sit for a minute?" He murmured tugging on Ian's hand.  

There was a dance floor with a full fledge orchestra or some shit and Ian had insisted that everyone get up and dance. Mickey on the other hand was tired and wanted some alone time.  

"We should start getting ideas for songs you know. You never dance with me so it's not like we really have a song, song to dance to."  

"I don't wanna talk about the wedding. Just for five minutes. I just wanna sit with you, that alright?"  

Ian instantly looked at him with concern in his eyes and in his forehead tugging on Mickey's waist until he was firmly seated on his lap. It was absolutely mortifying to think that people could see Mickey that way, but it was worth it just to have Ian slow down.  

"You gotta give this whole billion dollar wedding thing a rest man." Mickey sighed pressing his face into Ian's neck. "I know you want it to be perfect and I'm trying to work with you, but I need you to work with me too. I'm not used to this. Any of it. It makes me anxious. So can we just slow down a bit? Please?"  

Ian immediately sighed arms tightening around Mickey almost protectively.  

"I just want it to be perfect. You deserve the best, Mick." He whimpered.  

"I already got that . . . I got you."  

"That is… the sweetest damn thing you've ever said to me. I could just eat you, I swear."  

Mickey peered up at the ceiling as if to ask, whoever the fuck was up there, was this man real and was he really the one?  

When he went to look back at his fiancé he caught Lip staring at him, probably sending glares galore now that they were engaged. He almost wanted to tell him to fuck off, but he was just a little too happy with his current spot. Mickey slotted their lips together, hell bent on keeping Ian's motor mouth under control. Plus, despite his hatred for all things PDA; Mickey really liked kissing Ian.  

His fingers curled in Ian's hair continuing his long, deep kisses until they were both out of breath and sated.  

"We'll get married in Chicago. At whatever ridiculous place you want. Just so long as we're both there. Deal?" Mickey murmured.  

Ian nodded nose skimming searchingly along his skin.  

"Deal."  

Mickey smiled and looked up just in time for Lip to still be staring at the two of them. When he got caught he quickly looked away heading instead to continue on with the party. 

*** 

The fact that Mickey was sitting down with a wedding planner was only a miracle destined by God . . . and the top three of all time bedridden lays he'd receive to draw him there. The fact that he was using his PTO time for fucking color swatching was truly the most ridiculously gay thing he'd ever done in his entire life. But he did it anyway, simply because this obnoxious redhead asked him to.  

"See I thought we should have a fall wedding. That's when we got really close ya know? With you, me, and Yevgeny. It's when you met my family—"  

"When your family did everything in their power to split us up." Mickey mumbled under his breath. "Ouch, dammit, Ian."  

Ian grinned removing his fingers from pinching Mickey's side.  

"Behave."  

Mickey stuck his tongue out in a very manly, mature way. Totally.  

"Anyway. Marissa and I were looking at color schemes and I think you'll love it. Off-white, gold, taupe, and chocolate."  

Mickey raised an eyebrow. "The fuck is _taupe_?"  

Marissa, the wedding planner, giggled. "It's like a grayish color with a twinge of brown in it. It's lovely and perfect for fall."  

"Alright, fine. So if we're not gonna do this thing till next fall, why are we already picking fuckin' color schemes."  

"Oh well, Mr. Gallagher explained that he wanted the wedding this fall."  

"This fall?! Ian fall is literally around the corner!"  

Ian only smiled. "I know. But I'm so excited to be married to you. I don't wanna wait."  

"So you don't wanna wait, and yet you want to have this big, huge, perfectly planned out wedding in a matter of weeks? That doesn't make any sense. If you don't wanna wait there's a guy down at the county clerk's office."  

He shook his head. "Nope. It has to be perfect. And it will be perfect. I'll make it that way."  

It was said with such finality that it truly was hard to question. But, still Ian refused to slow down, and that frantic, inconsumable energy quickly bled into their everyday life.  

Suddenly Mickey was coming home to dinner not being made, dishes not being washed in turn for "more exciting" things. Ian would take Yev out for ice-cream, and forget to feed him something with actual substance. He wanted to be happy, happy all the time, and was desperate for everyone around him to share that mood, but it just wasn't realistic. Yevgeny loved it, of course he did, but Mickey was more concerned with navigating through life with this new found Ian who didn't, or couldn't, want to hold up the responsibilities he'd taken on before.  

Mickey was at work doing everything in his power not to fuck up and get fired when he got the call. Ian had been pulling him out of the office so goddamn often for wedding stuff that he was wondering if he'd have any PTO left for the wedding itself. And then it just got worse.  

"Mr. Milkovich?"  

"This is he." Mickey mumbled attention split between the call and his work.  

"Hi, this is Mrs. Woodrum and I'm here with Yevgeny. He says that his other dad usually picks him up, but it's after five, sir, and there's no sign of him."  

He froze. "Yev is there alone, right now?"  

"N—No of course not. He's with me for the time being, but I would like to get home soon."  

The anger that hit Mickey was staggering. He'd been so laid back as of late that his body almost got consumed in the rage. Yevgeny was his son, and he came first always. That was something Ian was supposed to know, something Ian was supposed to believe in. It was shocking and confusing and he almost couldn't believe it. A part of him expected the lady to start laughing and say it was all just a joke, because Ian had never done anything like that. And yet when he pulled up to the school there it was: his son sitting on the steps looking embarrassed and hurt. Mickey took that responsibility on himself first and foremost. He'd take it out on Gallagher later. 

"Hey bud, you okay?" He sighed as they drove home.  

Yev looked at him worriedly. "Is Ian okay?"  

"I—I don't know. I haven't been able to get in touch with him."  

"Did you call Aunt Mandy? Or Aunt Fiona? What if he's hurt dad?"  

"I don't think he's hurt kiddo, I think he just forgot." Mickey placated.  

This seemed to throw Yev for a loop. 

"But Ian never forgets."  

"I know, Yevy. I know."  

Mickey dropped Yevgeny off at Fiona's where Ian very much was not. She hadn't heard from him at all let alone seen him and the look on her face when she found out he had forgotten Yev was far from a good one. She looked like she desperately wanted to tell him something, but instead chose to bite her tongue. That didn't stop her from making him promise to call once he'd found him. However, she didn't say he couldn't kill the son of a bitch first.  

Mickey stomped off the elevator already amped up for a fight. It was one thing to forget a man's kid at his school, but then to not even have the balls to answer the phone? Underneath all the anger was fear. Fear because what if Mickey had been blindsided? What if all of Ian's perfection dried up with marriage, and true colors came to light. What if Ian wasn't the guy he thought he was?  

"Where the fuck is he Mandy?"  

"I already told you, he left early in the day for some wedding meeting. I haven't been able to contact him since." She explained.  

" _Jesus_ , I am going to kick his ass!" Mickey hissed drawing attention from the dozens and dozens of co-workers.  

"Mickey!"  

He turned on his heel only to be face to face with Lip "assface" Gallagher. In another time, when he was younger just looking at that asshole would've been enough, but he had a son and the last thing Mickey needed was to catch a case.  

"I am so not in the mood _Phillip_."  

Lip rolled his eyes. "Yea, neither am I. Come to my office. We need to talk."  

"You know where Ian is?"  

"If you don't follow me you won't find out."  

"Asshole." Mickey mumbled reluctantly following.  

Mickey followed Lip back into his office ignoring the seats in favor for crossing his arms grumpily and pacing along the floor.  

"The fuck do you want?"  

"Look Ian's been acting weird lately, I know you've noticed too, and I found something you should probably be concerned about." Lip explained.  

Mickey snorted. "Oh wait, let me guess; you got some kind of spy looking into your brother now too? I thought that was reserved for me?"  

"I don't need a spy to tell me that my brother is hemorrhaging money. Especially when he's doing it off our company funds."   

That stopped his pacing.  

"What? N—No. Ian wouldn't do that."  

"But he is. Look Ian and I agreed going into this business that all his transactions would be visible to me, just as long as I agreed to butt out of it unless necessary."  

Mickey's eyebrows twitched in confusion. "I don't understand."  

"It's a side of effect, so to speak, of his disorder. People with bi-polar they become impulsive, unstable sometimes and that can bleed in to their finances. For the average person? Maybe they wrack up a couple grand in credit card debt. But for a multi-millionaire business owner? What do you think a guy with that kind of money, that kind of power could do?"  

Mickey visibly flinched as the gravity of it hit him. It wasn't something he'd even considered, and as much as Ian had explained it to him vigorously, he'd never actually dealt with it before. His heart crashed at the notion, because it made him feel like a failure. He was supposed to take care of Ian and he couldn't even look after the one thing that dictated his whole life. One job, one ultimate rule, and he'd broken it.  

Lip watched as the last person he'd ever expect to show emotion, other than rage, of course, actually seemed to be affected by what he was saying. The guy looked absolutely terrified. His eyes were wide and glassy and he didn't seem to have a clue of what to do. Mickey wiped his hand over his face and gnawed on his lip in a desperate attempt to keep the tears at bay.  

"You're not . . . gonna cry are you?"  

Mickey swallowed and quickly clenched his jaw.  

"Fuck off. Do you know where he is?"  

"No . . . Ian tends to flee when he thinks people are trying to control him."  

"Control him? Who the fucks trying to do that? I just wanna take care of the fucking giraffe."  

Lip raised his hand. "Guilty. I may have confronted him today about his spending habit."  

"For fuck sakes. Thanks a lot." Mickey sneered already half way towards the door.  

He had no idea where to even begin looking for Ian, which also happened to scared him shitless. A part of him wondered what if Ian didn't want to be found. There was the possibility of Ian rejecting Mickey, of changing his mind on him, on their relationship, their engagement. He worried that if he couldn't handle Ian's bipolar disorder that he might leave him, worried that all those fears that he'd just begun to let go of were now more real and powerful than ever.  

Yevgeny would ultimately be the one to find Ian, and what he found wasn't at all a good sight. After coming to terms with the fact that Mickey very well might not find Ian that night, he called to have Fiona bring Yevgeny back home and meet him there. When Mickey arrived home they were already there, Yevgeny making a bee line for the stairs before Fiona was even through the door.  

"Thanks for bringing him home." Mickey murmured scratching his nose self-consciously.   

Fiona smiled sadly. "No problem. Any word yet?"  

"No. But Lip… Lip thinks it's his bipolar. He's been spending obscene amounts money and now that I think about it there were probably warning signs and I just . . .  I didn't even notice. I'm fucking everything up and we're not even married yet."  

"It's not your fault Mickey. It's not anyone's fault. It's genetics." She offered. "Ian hasn't skipped a pill in ten years. These meds, sometimes they crap out on him. He told you about that right?"  

Mickey nodded softly. 

"Well then it's a very good possibility that that's what happened here. And taking the blame on yourself isn't gonna solve anything. Chances are he noticed the changes before you did and was too afraid to say something."  

"Why the fuck would he be afraid?" Mickey asked.  

She smiled sadly. "Because Ian wants to take care of everyone; he's not used to anyone taking care of him."  

Mickey took that to marinate on as he led Fiona to the door. She offered to watch Yev the next day, and promised she was only a phone call away. This time when she hugged him, he didn't revolt from the touch. He thought that maybe that might make her family.  

Upstairs Yevgeny was waiting for Mickey at the top of the stairs with a tear or two already having fallen from his face. And as similar as Mickey felt on the inside, he quickly schooled his expression so that he could comfort his son. Perks of being a parent.  

"What's wrong buddy?"  

Despite all the strives Yev had made to be a big boy and grow up, there was still nothing more comforting than his father's arms when he needed them. And boy did he need them then.  

"I—I found Ian." He sniffled.  

Mickey's eyes widened. "Where?"  

Yev pointed at their bedroom where the door was open, lights off, atmosphere ominous. It actually made perfect sense.  

"He won't get up, Dad. What's wrong with him?" Yevgeny asked. 

"I think he's sick. He's just not feeling good. Why don't you got search through one of the takeout menus and I'll go check on him huh? Whatever you want."  

Yevgeny was hesitant, but with a little coaxing went down stairs in search of dinner. Mickey turned towards the door, stepping slowly into the room. There was a human sized lump in the sheets with a fringe of red hair poking out the top. He looked vulnerable, defeated; and all of the fight that had built up inside of Mickey quickly depleted. How could he be angry at him after all when Ian needed him the most?  

He slipped out of his shoes and jacket letting them slip slowly to the floor before carefully crawling into bed alongside Ian. Ian didn't move, continuing to stare blankly at the wall. But, that didn't stop Mickey from wrapping his arms around him, from nestling his head into the center of his back. He was okay with the silence, he was okay with the fact that Ian couldn't get up. Just as long as he was there with him while it happened. Eventually Yevgeny came back and noticed the scene before him, and instead of asking about dinner he just climbed into bed with his parents. It'd been a long day. Rest was needed for everyone.  

*** 

 

"Dad I wanna go with you guys. This isn't fair!" Yevgeny growled.  

Mickey clenched his nose between two fingers trying to steady his temper. He was cranky without sleep and seeing as how he hadn't slept in nearly two days since the whole debacle started, he was bound for a screw up.  

"Yevgeny you have to go to school. Ian would want that and you know it. I can't let you get even farther behind, your education is important."  

"Stop talking about him like he's dead! He's right in the other room, and I wanna go to the doctors with him. If you ended up in the hospital would you just make me go to school? Pretend like you don't even exist?"  

He sighed. "He's really got you with the dramatics doesn't he? Look . . . I don't know what's gonna happen when we get there. I don't know what the doctors gonna say, I don't even know if he'll go willingly. And that's not something I want you seeing. I've never been through this before Yevy, I'm just trying to do my best for everyone."  

"Then let me come with you guys. So, I know everything. He's my dad now too and I don't wanna be left out of the loop dad. I'm scared. And I'm gonna be scared whether I'm in school or with you. Please?"  

And those fucking baby blue were really just unfair. Mickey caved incredibly quickly.  

"Fine. But we're stopping at your school afterwards to get makeup work!" He snapped as Yev cheered enthusiastically heading to look for breakfast.  

Mickey headed back to the bedroom to help Ian out of bed. The first day he'd tried Ian had yelled in the most emotionless voice he'd ever heard. The second day he'd hid under the covers and cried until he fell asleep. As day three came around, Mickey couldn't allow it to go on any further, so he called Ian's therapist and made an appointment. He hadn't eaten, hadn't drank, hadn't move and Mickey was beyond terrified. Every moment Yev didn't catch him crying was an absolute miracle. He had to fix Ian so that he could kick his ass for putting him through this.  

"C'mon. We're gonna go to the doctor. Figure out how to get you out of this." He mumbled pulling at Ian's massive limbs.  

And for the first time in three days, he spoke.  

"I can't. Mick, please, I can't move just leave me." He sobbed.  

He looked so fucking tired and it hurt Mickey to see him like that, it absolutely tore him to shreds.  

"I know, I know, but I need to help you. You gotta believe I'm gonna help. Just come with me, please."  

He wasn't actually strong enough to fight Mickey leaving him crouched over long enough for Mickey to change him into clean clothes. It wouldn't help the fact that he hadn't showered in three days, but he was betting that the doctor wouldn't judge.  When he was done,  he ran his fingers through Ian's wild, untamed hair slightly curling at the ends without his straightener. He had scruff all over his face. His eyes were bloodshot and runny with tears and he literally drooped like runny egg in Mickey's hands.  

"I'm sorry." Ian whispered tiredly. "I'm so sorry, Mick."  

"We're gonna fix it. I promise."  

He held him close, hid his face in Ian's hair to hide the straggler tears before sitting through the whole morning with Yevgeny around.  

"I fuckin' love you shithead." He sniffled. "So we're gonna fix it. No matter what."  

They got to the doctors without much of an affair. Yevgeny kept staring worriedly at Ian, who was just lying limp and staring out the window, while Mickey tried to do the same thing and try not to crash the car. Ian's doctor was waiting for them when they got there and immediately ushered Ian inside leaving the father-son duo to look around and at each other in confusion without anything to do. Mickey couldn't sit still and subsequently neither could Yev. They were kind of mess.  

It didn't help that they sat there for over an hour with nothing happening. In her defense, being a Milkovich left very little knowledge of therapy for Mickey so he wasn't really aware of just how long it could take. It made sense of course with how long it took Ian to respond in very little amounts. But, for every second Ian was out of their sight, Mickey was terrified, and if the death grip on his arm was anything to go by Yevgeny's feelings weren't far off.  

When the door to office opened both men released a breath they hadn't been aware they'd been holding, and something inside of them seemed to give way at her presence.  

"Mickey, Yevgeny, would you like to join us?" She asked.  

They each nodded nervously before slowly getting up to join her.  

Inside the office, Ian sat on a long, comfy looking couch with his legs bunched up to the side and a blanket wrapped around his shoulders as he kneaded a lump play-doh with his hands. The second they sat down, both father and son let their eyes drink in Ian on the couch. The truth of it was, Ian was theirs now; he was family, and he meant the world to both Yevgeny and Mickey. They'd do anything to protect him. Anything.  

The first sign that they'd done the right thing by bringing Ian in was when he handed Yevgeny a piece of his play-doh to play with. It was the first thing he'd done in days to show that he was processing anything around him and Yev beamed at the sight.  

“Ian and I have talked for a little while now and I think we’re ready to come to a conclusion now.” 

Mickey, who had yet to take his eyes off Ian, scrunched up his nose. 

“And just what might that conclusion be?” 

She smiled. “Ian would like to begin a new pill regimen at home with the help of you two. I personally suggested that he be hospitalized, but he assures me that he was taking his pills, and that he still wants to take his pills, so I’m willing to give it a shot. On a couple of conditions of course.” 

“What conditions?” Yev asked.  

“For starters, we would do in-house therapy every day for the first week, until I deem his meds to be progressive. There would be someone at home with him twenty-four hours a day to monitor that his needs are being met, and that no dangerous behavior has occurred. You would call me if that behavior did occur, or 911 if required.” 

Yevgeny shuffled closer to Ian protectively. “Why would he need 911? He’s got us.” 

Mickey couldn’t help the smile that appeared on his face at that. He was glad when she didn’t give him any examples.  

“Anything else?” Mickey asked. 

“Yes, although it is more of a request for Ian. I want him to keep a journal again, something we’ve done before to help him utilize  and manage his depressive moods. He’ll know what to do. None the less it’s important to help him re-establish a routine. And no one is going to know how to do that better than you two. He trusts you, even now. So, so do I.” 

By the time they left the office Mickey didn’t know how to feel. He had a plan and some  guidance, which was helpful, but he couldn’t help but be terrified that he would fail somehow and Ian wouldn’t get better. The fact that Ian was barely speaking, but could voice that he trusted Mickey helped more than he could ever know though.  

He drove to McDonald’s afterwards ordering nothing but junk for breakfast and pulling off in the parking lot so that they could eat. It occurred to him that Ian should’ve been making a huge deal about eating in his car, but apparently there were finally bigger issues at hand. 

“You want somethin’?” Mickey asked softly. “You haven’t eaten in days, man.” 

“You got any mcgriddles?” 

Mickey handed him the bag and watched in private glee as Ian demolished three breakfast sandwiches in a row. He also stole Mickey’s iced coffee at some point but he was completely okay with that. Ian was an absolute health nut, and even if the cause of his behavior was the bipolar disorder, he’d take it for now.  

*                                                                                      *                                                                                *  

 

“Dad this isn’t the time to be harsh. Ian’s life depends on it.” 

“Nice try, Yevgeny. Mandy take him to school would ya?” 

Yev pouted. “But Dad!” 

“But nothing Yevgeny. It’s bad enough I'm gonna lose my job, you’ve missed too much already. You’re going. Now.” 

“What do you mean?” Mandy asked.  

“Someone has to take care of Ian. I’ve missed almost a week as it is I doubt even they’ll be that understanding.” 

“You know seeing as how Ian is my boss I could—” 

“No,” Mickey replied dismissively. “he needs me.” 

She nodded softly catching the pain in his eyes in a way only a sibling could. And if the only way she could help was to take Yev to school than it was a start. 

But that wasn’t the end. She made calls to all the Gallaghers so that Mickey wouldn’t have to. She made dinner or ordered take out when the kitchen went above her head. She checked homework and took Yev outside to play so that he wasn’t constantly focusing on Ian. In his time of need Mandy was amazing. He didn’t know what he would've done without her. 

The first week was hard, especially since therapy only seemed to upset and exhaust him. Mickey played his role, giving Ian his meds every day at the times he was supposed to take them. He didn’t push him, didn’t ever show the world wind of emotions going on inside him. He saved that shit for  the shower.  

As the meds hit and the fog began to clear Ian only felt worse not better. He explained to his therapist that Mickey and Yev were hurting and that it was all his fault. He couldn’t tell them that, but she urged him to talk to Mickey, to share his feelings if he ever expected them to get through anything. It wasn’t that simple though. He’d promise to take care of them and here they were taking care of him. It wasn’t fair to either of them, and that hurt Ian worst of all. On the days where he even could out of bed he wasn’t so sure he wanted to. Because getting out of bed meant facing the world, meant facing Mickey. How could he ever be ready for that? 

“I got some water running for you. Thought you might like a shower before therapy.” Mickey murmured pulling the shades back to let light in to their room. 

Ian groaned digging his palms into his eyes to hide from the sun. 

“I don’t need a keeper Mickey.” He grumbled. “I can take care of myself… I used to be able to take care of myself.” 

Mickey reached for his smokes, an increasing need in his life lately, and took a seat next to Ian on the edge of their bed.  

“’Course you can. But this one asshole once told me that just cause you can doesn’t mean you have to all of the time. I like to think he had the right idea.” 

Ian peered over at him shyly. “I’m messing up everything. You shouldn’t have to do this. It’s not fair to you.” 

He shrugged. “The way I see it? Life ain’t fair most of the time, Gallagher. But whether it’s a broken bone or a broken spirit, a physical illness or a mental one, I wanna be there. I asked you to marry me cause I wanted to deal with your shit. And the sooner you believe that, the sooner we can get move on and get through this.” 

“You’ve been talking to my therapist haven’t you?” 

Mickey grinned slipping a cigarette between his lips just so Ian could reach up and snatch it. 

“No smoking in the house.” He said on his way to the bathroom. 

Mickey smiled after him.  

“That’s my Gallagher.” 

It was slow but it happened. Ian’s meds took root, and with careful adjustments he eventually returned to a level head. His therapist visits relented from every day to once a week, and then the at-home visits went back to her office. When he was well enough to call his family and endure an hour of constant nagging he knew he’d made it through the fog. What he didn’t know was just what was waiting on the  other side. 

It was the first night Ian was feeling well enough to cook dinner and everyone seemed to be in a good mood. Yev ran up and hugged him before dinner, Mandy gave him a shoulder punch that screamed: “you scared me idiot”, and Mickey gave him a hug with some of the most tantalizingly possessive head nuzzling that he’d ever received. Ian was filled to the brim with love and he couldn’t have been more thrilled by it.  

“Ugh, you've gotta come back to work. No offense, but your brother’s kind of a dick.” Mandy complained.  

Ian chuckled. “None taken. You’re right. Things should get back to normal soon, then both Mickey and I will be back at work.” 

The table fell silent at that, Mandy shooting accusatory glances at her brother while Yev just frowned annoyingly.  

“What’s wrong?” 

“Nothing.” Mickey said too quickly. 

“I’m mentally ill not mentally challenged, now what aren’t you telling me?” 

He shrugged. “I quit my job.” 

“What?!” 

“I told you he’d freak out.” Mandy grinned. 

Mickey shot a glare at her as Ian continued to do exactly that. 

“Why on earth would you quit your job? You love your job!” 

He sighed. “Look, someone had to be here with you during your low mood; and between wedding meetings and getting you back to yourself someone was gonna eventually notice that I was never at work okay?” 

“So you just quit? Mickey I know the owners of that company. No one would dare give you shit for taking time off.” 

“Yea well I can’t very well have my boyfriend running to my rescue every time _I_ fuck up. I’ll deal with it.”  

Ian pinched his nose between his thumb and forefinger, a habit he'd picked up from a certain someone, and tried to breathe and stay calm.  

“Okay…. Okay so you take some time off. I’ve taken a sabbatical before. After the wedding you can--”  

“The wedding is off. I told the wedding planner to scrap everything.” 

“What?!” 

“What?!” 

“WHAT??!” 

Mickey ignored the freaked out looks on everyone’s face in order to better eat his food. Ian on the other hand had suddenly lost his appetite. The room fell quiet, except for the scrapes of forks and knives on plates. An awkward tension fill the air, and all Yevgeny and Mandy wanted to do was leave the two to talk. The quicker they made their escape the better.  

"You wanna tell me what the fuck that was all about?" Ian asked after the room had cleared out.  

Mickey kept his eyes away from the redhead, instead opting to drag dishes over to the sink.  

"Don't know what you're talking about." 

"Oh screw that! You're freaked out. You've finally seen what a freak show I am and now you wanna call it quits is that it?!"  

"Of fuckin' course not Gallagher, that's not what this is; don't be dramatic." Mickey huffed.  

"Then what is it? Why the hell would you cancel our wedding without even talking to me about it? What you don't . . . you don't feel the same way anymore? " 

And one look at the fuckin' puppy dog face on that Gallagher and Mickey was done for. He didn't have a chance in hell.  

"No that's not . . . I still love your crazy ass just as much as I did when I proposed." He sighed shoulder checking Ian playfully since no dishes would get done apparently.  

"But?" Ian asked squatting slightly to lean his head on Mickey's shoulder. "What is it, Mick?"  

"It's just that... I think a lot of your symptoms showed up around the time I asked you. And I didn't want... I wanted to give you a chance to change your mind, once you found it. Things were moving so fast. Don't want you regretting nothin'."  

Ian simply frowned. "Would you? Regret it, I mean. Would you regret me?"  

"Never."  

He bit his lip to hide the smile that threatened to completely consume his face at the finality of Mickey's words. Instead Ian stepped closer wrapping Mickey up in a hug warmer and tighter than anything they'd shared since he'd lost it a little bit.  

"I could never regret you either." Ian whispered. "You're kinda stuck with me."  

Mickey sighed, elated. "Be careful. I could get used to that."  

*                                                                                          *                                                                    * 

There was a knock on Ian's door as he was finishing up for the day. When Lip came in he was surprised at how nice it was to see his brother. The last time they'd spoken hadn't gone too well, though Ian definitely had been in the right frame of mind, and it was good to be able to hold grudges against him.  

"Come to say: 'I told you so'?" Ian smirked.  

Lip chuckled. "No, no, I just wanted to see how you're doing. Make sure everything is okay. We haven't really had a chance to talk since..."  

"Yea, I know. I uh I'm doing good. Really good. Kind of amazing actually."  

"Yea?"  

"Yea. I mean Mickey and Yevgeny were so supportive, so understanding.Every day when I couldn't get out of bed Yev would come lay with me after school while Mickey was making dinner, which in itself is like woah, and he'd tell me about his entire day and do his homework like things were normal. And Mickey . . . he was there every night. I started seeing things, started believing them again, and he took care of me, made sure I knew that none of it was real."  

And as if the goofy smile on his face wasn't enough to soften even one as cold as Lip, just knowing that there was someone out there willing to take care ofhis brother when he needed it would do the trick. A part of Lip had thought Mickey would never stick around long enough to witness the effects of Ian's disorder, and that if he did he'd quickly run for the hills. But, instead he'd stood face to face with it and dealt with everything that was thrown at him. It was as unnerving as it was impressive, and even Lip couldn't fault the guy for that. Didn't mean he had to like him though.  

"That's great Ian, really." He murmured.  

"It is . . . That's why I wanted to talk to you about my stepping down after the wedding."  

"What?! Ian what the fuck? We built this company from the ground up, together. This is our dream remember? You can't just leave that all behind."  

"No, Lip, this was your dream. All I ever wanted was to belong to something, so I tagged along in hope that maybe this could be it. But, it's not, and I know that because I found something I belong to. I've found someone to belong to. Now both of our dreams have come true."  

"Is this because I called your boyfriend a gold digger? You're trying to get back at me right?" He gasped incredulously.  

"He's my fiance," Ian corrected softly. "and I'm not trying to hurt you at all, Lip. I just wanna dedicate my time to my family."  

"By doing what?! Being a stay-at-home dad?!"  

"Precisely." He grinned. "And I'm very happy about that. I want you to be happy for me too."  

Lip just stared on at him with wide, desperate eyes. A part of him wondered if his brother was actually sane or if he'd snapped beyond reprieve.  When the light didn't dim from Ian's eyes or the smile away from his face, however, Lip was left with few options.  

"I actually have to meet Mickey for date night. We're going bowling with some of the parents from Yev's school." Ian sighed closing his laptop. "I'm trying to convince him to start our own couple's league, how fuckin' cute would that be?"  

He grabbed his stuff and headed for the door, but not before stopping in front of Lip.  

"Lip, I am the happiest in this very moment than I've ever been in my whole life. I couldn't ask for anything more, accept for you to be happy for me and accept me. I don't want you out of my life, I just wanna focus on a different part of it for a little while. Okay?" He asked trying to catch his older brother's eye.  

Lip nodded softly stepping out of the way so that Ian could leave. All business aside Ian didn't even have to ask. That was his brother and he would support him in anything.  

*** 

 

"Alright we got Ian's black card and the next twelve hours to find a suit that would make someone marry Mickey's grouchy ass. Everybody ready?!" Mandy cheered.  

"Ready!" They all chorused.  

"Who the fuck invited any of you anyway?" Mickey mumbled.  

Why Ian got to pick out his suit by himself, but Mickey was being dragged off with the fucking goon squad was beyond him. First it was just Mandy and Yevgeny, but on the day of: Debbie, Fiona, and Kev for male influence had tagged along. If it were up to Mickey they'd get married in any of the shit sitting in the closet, but despite his being the one to propose it wasn't up to him, it was up to Ian. And that meant perfectly tailored Italian shit. It wasn't that he wasn't willing to go through all this dumb shit for his giant redhead, it was that he wasn't willing to go through it without bitching a little. Plus, since Ian had gotten back on his feet and they'd dug deeper into the wedding planning the sex has been _phenomenal_ and Mickey had a feeling he could definitely see some action if he complained long enough.  

And so it began. He tried on shirt after shirt after shirt and pants in all different fabrics and cuts just for everyone one of them to stick their fuckin' noses up like they were Versace or some shit. Even Yev, his boy, had turned on him the second he suggested a lavender shirt because, and quote: "it didn't make his eyes pop." They were monsters, every single one of them.  

"Hello?"  

"When we get married I wanna spend a year on a island. You can buy one of those right? That seems like some shit you'd do." Mickey huffed around a cigarette.  

Ian immediately laughed. "So I take it things are going well?"  

"Let's just say if my ass gets groped to judge the frumpiness of my pants one more time you and me are gonna lose a sister."  

"Awww I'm sorry honey, but just think of me and you standing in front of each other, proclaiming our love in excellent fashion. Nothings gonna matter but us; I promise you that. This will all be worth it."  

The picture was calming enough that he ignored the nickname. He closed his eyes and took a big puff of smoke to get rid of the stress in his hands.  

"I'm too fuckin' old for this." He sighed.  

"Put that cigarette out before you really are to old for this. Now you go and you get something that looks good; I know that you will, you look good in anything. And then you'll come home and I'll be waiting with open arms . . . open pants . . . an open mouth."  

"Jesus I hate you, right now."  

"Love you too, Mickey Mouse. Go get something sexy." Ian said before hanging up.  

Three hours of women pulling at his junk later, Mickey finally put his foot down. He chose his own shirt, his own pants, his own jacket, even got a pair of dressy socks for his fucker of a fiance. But it was all him. And maybe that's what he needed. Cause at the end of the day when he looked in the mirror there was a look of awe in Mickey's eye. He was wearing stuff he never could've afford five years ago, stuff he never would've even wanted to wear. And it wasn't all Ian, some of it was him too. He was standing in front of a mirror and he felt good about himself.  Physically. Mentally. He wasn't afraid of being abused and used just for somebody elses' personal gain. He was in love with somebody and that somebody loved him too! Enough to want to marry him! That was some crazy shit. And when he looked in the mirror Mickey saw everything he never could've hoped to become. Some of it was Ian, but a lot of it was him. He'd found something good and he took it for himself despite what anyone thought or said. And he was happier for it.  

He bought a suit to marry this guy who had a hard enough face to take a generic mac and cheese box. And then he went home to said guy, to their home, to their life that he'd built and never had he felt so content with the road before him.  

*** 

 

"I think your doing this whole, 'get me to leave' thing wrong." Mickey hummed.  

They were lying on the bed of Ian's hotel room, totally supposed to not be seeing each other, and not totally not doing that. It was a mess of tangled limbs as they kissed each other like the honeymoon had already started. Ian was barely letting him up for air, and every single touch drove him mad. 

"Don't want you leave." Ian mumbled teeth pulling at Mickey's lips. "Ever."  

"Thought you wanted to do shit by the book Gallagher."  

Ian just whined knocking their bodies over to better slot their hips together.  

"Give me a minute. I'm warming up to it."  

The only thing he was warming up to was everyone finding them butt ass naked with a faint sense of jizz in the air the day of their wedding, and who was Mickey to stop him? Ian had pulled Mickey on top of him, settling him in between his freakish long ass legs so he could hold him captive. His hands were also inside Mickey's pants grabbing at his ass like a handsy virgin. And Mickey was totally here for it.  

"You're kind of a slut when your drunk by the way." Mickey chuckled.  

"Don't slut shame me! I am just a man coercing my fiance the day before he becomes my husband and maybe I had one beer with Lip and maybe Carl put a shot inside that beer and maybe I also had a margarita with the beer inside of it and maybe I'm gonna die." He panted.  

That truly cracked Mickey up who spend the next five minutes laughing his ass off.  

"You're so fucking hammered holy shit!" 

As if to drive home Mickey's point, Ian moved his face to his fiance's neck so he could burp. 

"You're fuckin lucky we already paid for this shindig; that was fucking disgusting."  

"Miiiiiick, let's do the sex."  

"As much as fruity ass burps turn me on, I think I should head back to my hotel room, Gallagher. We got a big day tomorrow, remember?" He whispered playing with the hairs at the nape of Ian's neck.  

Ian whined. "Don't go. Stay here."  

Mickey rolled his eyes. "One night alone won't kill you. I'll even tuck you in."  

"Really?" The redhead beamed goofily.  

Sweet Jesus.  

Mickey tucked his fiance in, even going as far as to pull the covers up over and around him all while Ian smiled at him like he was the fucking sun. He was goofy and annoying and so painstakingly beautiful that leaving him was so much harder than it really needed to be.  

"I'll see you tomorrow." Mickey sighed straddling Ian's blanket-clad body.  

Ian giggled. "I'll be the one in white."  

"If you seriously bought a white suit I will kick your ass."  

For demonstration purposes only, he kissed him long and hard wondering if it would feel different once they were married. And Ian in all his goofy, warm, and fuzzy state couldn't help but wonder the same thing.  

"Love you Gallagher." He whispered before leaving.  

"I love you too, Mickey."  

*** 

"Sweet fuck I look good right now!"  

Mandy, who was in the corner waiting to take her dumbass brother to his husband, rolled her eyes. If she was being honest with herself the navy blue suit was tailored perfectly to his body making him look as red carpet ready as the southsider was ever going to get.  

"So humble." She chuckled.  

"No one looking this good has any room to be humble." Mickey smirked. "Now where's my boy?"  

The door to the changing room burst open and a very fussy Yev tumbled out.  

"Dad, I can't get my tie right."  

"C'mere."   

In true Ian fashion, Yevgeny was too to have a tailored suit, not dissimilar from that of his father's. Both of them dripping in navy blue with brown wing-tipped shoes were a sight to behold. Mickey tied the skinny, black tie before tucking it back inside his son's suit. And then he smiled a very un-Mickey like smile and nearly squished the kid.  

"You look fuckin' good, Yevy." He sniffled.  

"Daaaad." The kid whined.  

"Shhhh. Just let it happen."  

By the time they were done hugging the photographer, another Ian demand, had classic footage of a child being smothered by their parent.  

"Ian'll be pissed he didn't get to see you before." Mickey smirked smoothing Yev back out. "He freakin' out?"  

"Uncle Lip is in charge of keeping him from seeing you before it starts. He tried to follow me back here anyway."  

"Yea well, he's not the only one ready to get this shindig on the road." Mickey mumbled.  

Mickey knew Ian and he had a feeling he was gonna be incomprehensibly sappy in front of their family friends and co-workers. The thought of it alone had Mickey's palms sweating because he was gonna be smackdown in the middle of that whirlwind of sappiness and  there was nothing he could do about it. Not that he didn't like to sappy, he actually quit enjoyed it in the privacy of his own home. But the privacy of three hundred plus people including a photographer to document the whole thing? Jesus he was having a stroke just thinking about it.  

When it was time to go Mandy adjusted his bow tie, cause fuck yea he had a bow tie, one more time.  

"Can't believe you're getting married first, asshole." She smirked. "I'm happy for you though."  

"Thanks Mands, for everything."  

"Yea, yea, let's get you to your prince shall we?"  

The Milkovichs headed to what could only be described as a beautiful ceremony.  

They'd stumbled upon the South Shore Cultural club after dozens and dozens, maybe even hundreds, of other venues and each of them had fallen in love. Ian loved it cause it was romantic and grandiose. Mickey loved it because as grandiose as it was it was still simple and elegant. Big wide open spaces and sleek modeling. It was lots of off whites and gold intricate paintings that seemed old and beautiful.  

In the hall where they would be married stood rows and rows of chairs all sitting before dozens of wide, open windows at the front of the room. There was a chandelier that marked the front and big white pillars outline the room with flowers bursting on top of them. It was actually kind of insanely beautiful and surprisingly not too gay even by Mickey's estimation.  

The whole walking down the aisle thing with the music was a no. Ian began at the front with Kev, because no we're not getting a fucking priest Ian!, and Mickey was to actually be led down the aisle by Yevgeny since he was gonna carry the ring anyway. There were no bridesmaids or groomsmen either. Just Ian and Mickey. That's all they really needed.  

Ian was standing at the front, hands crossed politely in front of him, with Kev when the ceremony began and in walked the two most important people of his life. Yev looked absolutely adorable, a mini GQ  what that boy was and he couldn't have been prouder of him. And then there was Mickey who walked down the aisle as a version of himself that Ian had always wished for him. He was confident and poised walking with a certain swagger to his step that could only make him so much sexier to Ian. And most importantly, he looked fucking happy making Ian feel like maybe his job was complete.  

"Hey." Ian whispered as Mickey stepped in front of him.  

"Hey." Mickey said back just as giddy.  

Obviously they weren't going the traditional route, but something they were each very insistent on was the vows. Ian looked at it as a way to praise his husband as sappy and schmoopy as he wanted. Mickey looked at it as a way to let Ian know just how much he cared, because those weren't easy things for him to admit, ever.  

"Mickey, as you know I dream big, and sometimes I have a hard time separating those dreams from reality. But, sometimes, when I'm lucky, I get a dream that translates into reality, and that dream is you. You are the strongest, greatest person I've ever met and every day I spend with you makes me want to be better. When I'm not with you, I'm thinking of you, and when I am with you, I'm cherishing every second of it. And nothing excites me more than the opportunity to do that for the rest of our lives. I promise to love you and protect you with every fiber of my being. And I promise that when you're scared or frustrated or angry, I will always listen, I will always be there for you as your husband and as your friend. You are a beautiful human being inside and out and nothing could ever stop me from loving you. I'm yours." 

There was audible awwing from the crowd and it should've shook Mickey to his core. This was what he was afraid of after all, all these people seeing him vulnerable, seeing inside of his head and his heart. But as usual, Ian had surprised him. He found a way to calm Mickey, like an anchor keeping him weighed down. There was no one else, nothing else but them.  

"Ian, you are the most terrifying person I've ever met. You're outgoing and your loud and you live every day with such excitement. We're different. And everything about you use to scare me, still does sometimes. But if there's anything that you've taught me over the years it's that a life lived in fear is like a life half lived. You've taken me out of my character, out of my shell. You've shown me that I don't have to be afraid of what I am, that there's a life outside of Southside, a life that I'm worthy of living. When we met you weren't just out of my league you were out of my lifetime. I never knew I could have something this beautiful, someone like you. You're honest and warm and bright and I'm here for all of it, I am. Because a life with you is more than I could ever ask for, and it's all that I really want. I promise to remain open, even when it scares me the most. I promise to give in to temptation a little bit, maybe let you spoil me some. And I promise to work at this, to stop running away from the things that scare me in life. I promise to fight, beside you and with you to make this work. I love you more than I know what to do with. I guess that makes me yours too."  

Kev went on to read some shit about holy matrimony and the bond of marriage, but it none of Iit registered. They were looking at each other and soaking in one another's love. This was it. This was that thing you read about In books and see in movies, but better. It's not some consuming love that happens in a matter of ninety minutes. It's work and it's hard and it's so scary, but fuck does it feel good. It's an amazing feeling that filled them to the brim leaving them to bask in this shared experience.  

Yevgeny handed each of them their rings, earning tearful kisses from each of his father's who only got a huge grin in return. And then it was time.  

"Mikhail Milkovich do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?"  

Mickey smiled wetly sliding the ring on Ian's finger. "Fuck yea."  

A low chuckle rang through the crowd 

"And Ian Gallagher, do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?"  

"I do." Ian beamed returning to gesture.  

"You may now kiss each other!"  

You didn't have to tell either of them twice.  

Ian cheekily grabbed for his husband, fingers slipping around his neck to pull him close as they kissed. Mickey matched him, running his hands up Ian's shoulders, over his neck, and up to his cheeks. Ian reached for a different set of cheeks earning a response of whistles and catcalls  from the crowd as he unabashedly grabbed Mickey's ass. It was funny and lighthearted. It was love. It was them. And they couldn't have asked for anything better.  

*** 

 

"Hunter green, really GQ?" Mickey chuckled as they shuffled around in an awkward dance. 

"Are you kidding? This is dark olive, Mick and I look damn good. So do you by the way."  

"Right? Who knew there was someone out there who could wear a suit this good."  

Ian laughed. "That's what I love to see. Your confidence is absolutely enticing. So is your ass. And your lips."  

He kissed him again, grateful that there were cameras out there to capture the love taking place right now.  

"Mmm. You take full of advantage of this sappy ass night. It will not happen again." Mickey murmured.  

"I will." He promised.  

They moved around in a circle as music played and all their loved ones looked on. It was about as romantic as it got and Ian _and_ Mickey were loving every second of it.  

"Can't believe I get to keep you." Ian whispered holding on to Mickey tight. "Sometimes I thought it was too much, that I was gonna push too hard and you'd walk away. But you never did."  

"Where else was I gonna go?" He asked as if that answered everything. "Hate to break it to you, but you're kind of a catch man." 

"So are you. We're so fuckin' awesome."  

As the dance came to a close family and friends began to melt onto the floor too.  Yevgeny reached the two men and squawked as his parents lifted him into the air. The little family did their own dance as terrible as it was, it was still perfect. And when they all sat down to enjoy the cake with two groomsmen on top of it, Yevgeny brought a little gift of his own.  

"Go ahead, give it to him." Mickey smiled giving Yev a gentle push.  

"Give me what?"  

Yevgeny climbed up onto Ian's lap for the special occasion slipping back into his young boy persona as he handed him the envelope.  

"It's my wedding present." He said as an explanation.  

Inside the envelope were the papers for adoption, Yev's adoption. As the gravity of the situation dawned on Ian he looked to the two men before him in shock and awe.  

"You've gotta be kidding."  

Mickey shook his head. "It was Yev's idea. Turns out I'm not the only one who thinks you’re a keeper."  

"You're sure about this?" Ian asked peering down at the child he loved to pieces. "I won't be mad, I'll still love you."  

"Who's being a Milkovich now? Just let it happen, Ian. Trust me you're the second best parent a kid could ask for." He grinned.  

And then Ian sniffled because even the toughest of men could just sit there and not cry. He pulled Yevgeny close, closer than close, till the kid was gasping for air and fighting against the iron grip of a stepdad becoming a dad.  

"Alright Gallagher don't kill the kid, they'll never let you adopt him then."  

When it was time, after a night of celebration and love, they hugged and kissed the people that mattered before embarking on a new adventure, a new journey that was entirely there's. After all just because Mickey cringed as luxury didn't mean he didn't like to travel in style.  

"A jet. You own your own private fucking jet?! This is ridiculous. You have to know that right?"  

Ian chuckled. "It is a company jet, thank you, and what better a way to spend time traveling the world than to start with a jet? I told you I'd show you the world and I plan on doing just that."  

"Yea, yea. So uh . . . we gonna join the mile high club or what?" Mickey asked eyebrows as expressive as ever.  

"Really?"  

"I said I'd do it all for you Gallagher, you just had to give a guy a little time."  

He got up out of his seat heading for the bathroom that would no doubt be decked out. Ian didn't hesitate in following him quickly locking the door to give them privacy. After all nothing says romance like bending over a sink 45,000 feet above the air. And if Ian Gallagher had taught Mickey anything after blasting into his life, it was that romance wasn't something to be feared. It was meant to be cherished. And so they cherished each other that night and for the rest of their lives, because it was worth it. It just took a little time for him to figure that out.  

**Author's Note:**

> Ugh this one was a doozy. It really took a long time and I'm so proud of this so i really hope you guys enjoyed it!   
> comments and kudos are always appreciated as per the usual.


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